WITCH Season 4: Wants & Needs
by HeartofMeridian
Summary: Following the events of W.I.T.C.H Season 3, the girls begin another adventure by trying to find out what happened to Kandrakar. New friends and new foes. Enjoy! A.N. For readers who are new to my stories, it is important that you read Season 3 before this story. There is a review of Season 3 on my profile page if you don't feel like reading the whole story.
1. Prolouge

W.I.T.C.H

Prologue

Kandrakar 

He wandered the halls of Kandrakar, running his fingers over the smooth walls. Although he had been in the fortress for a while now, there were still some things he wasn't used to. Everything was so… clean. There was no dirt or dust anywhere. He would never get used to that. He couldn't worry about it now though. He had a job to do and he was going to do it. There were too many people depending on him.

"Minnio!"

His thoughts were interrupted at the sound of his name. Well, one of his names at least. He spun around to face Tibor.

"Yes?" he replied, looking up at the taller man.

"Have you not heard the announcement?" Tibor asked.

Minnio racked his brains, but nothing came up.

"No." Minnio said at last. "What announcement?"

"The Guardians have been called back." Tibor said. "They will be testifying at the judgment. You will finally get to meet them."

Minnio just barely managed to hide a smile. The girls were coming back! Of course, Minnio had already met them, but Tibor didn't know that. Wait a minute…

"Judgment?" he said. "So Endarno got it passed?"

Tibor nodded gravely.

"Yes, and many of the elders agree with him. It was a rather one-sided vote."

"Excellent." Minnio said, although he didn't mean it. He had to do some tough things in order to complete his mission, but he didn't have to like it. Tibor, one of the few elders who voted in favor of the Oracle, gave him a glare. Minnio comforted himself with the knowledge that his deception was working. Tibor had no idea who Minnio really was, or who he was fighting for. Minnio hoped that when this was over, he would be able to explain himself.

"When do the Guardians arrive?" Minnio asked.

"A matter of minutes" Tibor said "They are preparing the portal now. In fact, I believe that they need my help. You should go to the main entrance. Endarno has requested that you be with the welcoming committee. Will you go?"

"If Endarno requests it, then Minnio will go!" he replied.

Minnio said goodbye to Tibor and returned to his own thoughts. The Guardians were coming back, but not for the right reasons. However, Endarno had requested him personally on the welcoming committee. That must mean Endarno was starting to trust him. Good. He took a deep breath and headed off. Things were about to get very interesting.


	2. Back in Buisness

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 1

Back in Buisness

"Ready?"

"Always."

Will's Heart of Kandrakar and Caleb's Tonga tooth soon collided, and continued to touch as they sliced through the air in the Silver Dragon's basement. In a few seconds, a blue fold had appeared, one that shone brighter then any other they had ever created.

"Well, even if it doesn't work, at least it looks cool." Irma said, casually leaning against a wall.

"Yay." Cornelia replied, very unenthusiastically.

"Alright," Will said, "here goes nothing."

With that, she passed through the fold, and, unsurprisingly to everyone in the room, reappeared on the other side.

"Still no good." Will said with a sigh.

It had been over two weeks since Elyon had given up her powers, and two weeks since they had been forced to help Riddle to save Matt. Although Matt had healed fully, frustration was still high amongst the girls, mostly due to their inability to reach Kandrakar. They had been kicked out over a month ago, after the incident on Zamballa, and hadn't been able to return since. Numerous tries to regain contact with the fortress had been met with only defeat and rising tempers. This latest attempt had had similar results.

"Oh well, you know what they say." Hay Lin said, "The 29th time's the charm."

"Yeah, well, I think I only have 28 ideas." Will replied, sitting down dejectedly.

"Um, if you don't need me any more," Caleb said. "I should probably get back to Meridian."

"Of course, Caleb." Cornelia said, giving him a kiss on the check. "How's Elyon doing?"

"Good." Caleb said, opening a fold back to the castle, "Great, actually. Really great. Well, It was nice seeing everyone again!"

Cornelia sensed there was more on Caleb's mind then that, but she was too tired to press him for answers, so she let him disappear with a wave.

"So," Hay Lin said, "what do we try now?"

"I'm not sure there's anything left to try." Taranee said.

"So that's it? We're just giving up?" Will said, rising to her feet.

"Of course not, Will," Taranee replied, trying to calm her friend, "we're just, um… you know, we're uh… we're… we're just taking a bit of a…, hmmm. All right, fine, we're giving up.

"We can't give up!" Hay Lin said. "Kandrakar needs us. My grandma needs us!" Hay Lin thought about this for a moment. "Well, one of them does."

"We don't know that." Taranee said. "In fact, since it happened right after they kicked us out, I'd bet that they're the ones who are stopping us from getting back in. It's probably a self-inflicted quarantine."

"Well, I for one think we should respect their privacy." Cornelia said. "Who's up for shopping?"

"You'd go shopping during the end of the world, wouldn't you Corny?" said Irma.

"Of course, Irmy. Everyone knows that the best sales happen during the apocalypse." Cornelia said, sticking her tongue out at Irma

"We're not giving up, Hay Lin." Will said. "We've put up with too much from Kandrakar for them to just block us out whenever they want to."

"But?" Irma said, sensing Will wasn't done.

"But," Will said with a sigh, "we'll have to do it tomorrow. I have a date with Matt in an hour and I smell like a fish wrapped in a skunk."

"Another date?" Taranee asked. "This is your third one in a row."

"Yep. We're going to the carnival tonight." Will said. "Oh, and before I forget,"

"Ohhhh, now what?" Hay Lin moaned.

"I know this is bad timing, but my mom's fortieth birthday is in a week. Would you mind lending a hand?"

"Ma'am! Yes Ma'am!" Irma said, giving a fake salute.

"We'd be happy to." Taranee said, elbowing Irma.

"Of course we would." Irma said, rubbing her side.

"Thanks." Will said. "Now all of you should get some sleep and try have some fresh ideas for tomorrow. We're getting to Kandrakar, whether they like it or not!"

The girls were grateful for the rest, so they all headed for the door.

"So, seriously," Cornelia said, "Shopping anyone?"

"Take a hint, Corny."

"Irma, why don't you take a…"

Two hours and one shower later…

"Matt, hurry up! You're missing the carnival!"

"Will, can you just…"

"Hmmm… Tilt-a-whirl, Whack-a-mole, haunted house, well, maybe not the haunted house, we never seem to have good luck in haunted houses, do we. Ooooh, the Ferris wheel!"

"Will, just give me a sec…"

"Oh! Oh! Carnival games! Oh, Matt, look! A stuffed frog! Can you win the frog for me Matt? Oh, please! Oh, please! Oh, please! Oh, please!"

"Will, would you just slow down for one second!" Matt yelled, much louder then he wanted to.

Will turned to face Matt, giving him the fiercest puppy dog eyes she had. Matt crossed his arms.

"Will, you've been going at full speed all week!" he said, trying vainly to resist her stare. "Yesterday it was the movies, before that, dinner. Not to mention this party you're planning for your mom. How's that going by the way?"

"Great!" Will said, perking up. "I've contacted a whole bunch of my mom's old friends. I spent all day yesterday finding this girl that mom knew in high school. She lives in Italy now, but I found her!"

"See? This is what I mean!" Matt said. "The only time you get this hyper is when you're trying to hide something."

Will expression changed, and she looked away. Matt knew he was on to something.

"Will, we have a very special, and very strong, relationship. But you were kidnapped for three days and I just came out of a coma. Even we're going to have to talk about that at some point." He put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm just trying to help, Will. But you have to tell me what's bothering you first."

Will looked up with a smile.

"Only if you win me the frog."

Matt sighed and looked to the heavens. Then he took out his wallet, and trudged over to the ring toss booth. Ten dollars and twenty rings later, Will was holding her newest acquisition.

"Alright, now no more avoiding it." Matt said firmly.

"Alright, fine." Will started, squeezing her frog tighter. "It has to do with the past, before I met you. I've never told you too much about my pervious life in Fadden Hills. My life before I became a Guardian."

This was true, Matt thought. They had always been so worried about the present, that they had never had time to talk about the past.

"It wasn't a very good life." Will continued. "I was never very popular, never really had any friends. But more importantly, my parents were always fighting and always yelling at each other. I hardly ever saw my dad. He never had any time for me or my mom. That was the main reason we moved to Heatherfield, to get away from my dad and make a fresh start."

Matt was starting to realize there was actually quite a bit about Will that he didn't know. Maybe it was time he became a bigger part of her life.

"But that's in the past." Matt said. "What about now?"

"This may sound weird," Will said, " considering everything that's happened, but these last few years have been the best of my life. I met the girls, became a Guardian, and most importantly, I met you. I love this life, and I wouldn't change any of it."

"So what's the problem then?" Matt asked.

"The Guardians are what created this new life for me, but now the Guardians are threating to destroy it."

"The girls? What are they doing?" Matt asked, surprised.

"No." Will said, shaking her head. "It's not like that. The girls have been great. They always are. I mean the Guardians. Us, fighting evil. You almost died, Matt. What happens next time? What happens when we face someone we can't beat? I don't want to lose any of this Matt."

"You won't." Matt said, putting his arm around her shoulder. "You know me, I'm way to stubborn to die." This earned him an elbow in the ribs.

"Don't joke about it." Will said.

"Sorry. Besides," Matt continued, "It's not like you can just give up being a Guardian, right?"

Will didn't say anything.

"Will, I said you can't just give up being a Guardian, right? Right?"

"Why do you think we've been trying so hard to get into Kandrakar?" Will said.

"Whoa, hold on. You actually want to give up the Heart?" Matt asked.

Will didn't say anything. She didn't need to.

"Is this what all of you want?" Matt asked.

"Nobody's come right out and said it." Will said. "But we're all thinking it."

Will saw the worried look in Matt's eyes.

"Look, I'm not sure about anything yet." She said. "I… We all have a lot of questions and none of them are going to be answered until we get to Kandrakar."

Neither of them said anything for a while. Each of them was wrapped up in their own thoughts about what was happening, and what was going to happen.

"Will," Matt said breaking the silence, "no matter what path you take, I'll be right there by your side."

Will was giving Matt a hug, when a loud humming noise came from Will's pocket.

"Umm, Will, is that your phone, or are you just happy to see me?"

Will gave him a playful shove and checked her phone. It was Cornelia.

"Hello? No, we're still at the carnival. What? When? Where? Why is it always your place? Who else is there? Well, call them. All right, all right, I'm coming. Are you sure? You checked? It is? Good. Then we're finally going to get some answers. Ok, be there soon, bye."

"What was that all about?" Matt asked.

"A portal just opened in Cornelia's bedroom." Will said, putting away her phone and giving her frog to Matt. "Its Kandrakar. Looks like they're back in business."

"Will, before you go," Matt said. "You know I'll always support you, but… just promise me you won't do anything, you know…"

"Stupid?"

"Well, I was going to say rash, but yeah, stupid works."

Will gave him a kiss.

"When do I ever do anything stupid?"

Matt thought about giving some examples, but decided better of it. Instead, he stood in the center of the carnival, holding a stuffed frog, and watching Will Vandom run off into the distance, and towards Kandrakar.


	3. Live, From Kandrakar

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 2

Live, From Kandrakar

Kandrakar

Halinor and Minnio stood in front of the portal, waiting impatiently. Fortunately, they did not have to wait long before a familiar, brown-haired head poked through. Irma looked around and, upon seeing Halinor and Minnio, grinned sheepishly. She then once again disappeared from sight.

Heatherfield

"It's Kandrakar alright." Irma said once she brought her head back into Cornelia's room. "And they've brought out the welcome wagon."

"Told you." Cornelia said, crossing her arms. "Why don't you just believe me?"

"Experience." Irma replied. Will entered the room as Irma said this.

With Will's arrival, all five girls were now in Cornelia's room, staring at the portal in front of them.

"Is it really Kandrakar?" Will asked once she caught her breath.

"Yep." Cornelia replied.

Will looked at her skeptically.

"Don't worry Will." Irma said. "I checked too. It's Kandrakar."

"You believe Irma but not me?" Cornelia said. "Why does no one believe me?"

"Experience." Will said with a smile. "Now knock it off."

She took out the Heart.

"Guardians unite!"

Kandrakar

The five Guardians stepped through the portal and onto the front steps of the fortress of Kandrakar.

"Girls! It's wonderful to see all of you again." Halinor said, greeting them with a smile.

"It's… nice to see you too, Halinor. What's going on?" Will asked.

The girls did a quick look around the entrance of the fortress. There wasn't any damage, and there was no sign of an attack.

"I'm afraid there's no time for explanations." Halinor replied. "We must head to the council room at once."

"Well, can you at least introduce us to you friend?" Hay Lin asked, eyeing Halinor's companion.

"Of course. This is Minnio." Halinor said with some disdain.

Minnio stood only a little over 4 feet tall, and that, combined with his smooth skin and disproportionately small facial features, gave him a child like appearance. Despite this, he had long grey hair, and small, round-brimmed glasses that also gave him fell of authority. The girls weren't quite sure what to make of him.

"Minnio is pleased to meet all of you." He said, giving each of the girls a firm handshake. "Now please follow Minnio and Halinor to the council room. Quickly! Your lateness has put us all behind schedule."

The girls did as they were told, and headed towards the council room.

Meridian

Elyon rounded the corner and, seeing her prey, moved in to attack. Her prey this particular time was none other then Caleb, who was sitting at his desk, pouring over blueprints for the castle. Upon seeing the leader of the Honor Guard hard at work, Elyon decided the best course of action was to jump up, and sit on Caleb's desk. Which she promptly did. Caleb, not appreciating the distraction, glared at her.

"What'cha doin'?" She asked innocently.

"Well," Caleb said, turning back to the blueprints. "Since all of our defenses were based on your infinite power,"

"Which recently got significantly more finite," Elyon added.

"I'm having to re-create our entire defense system." Caleb finished.

"That sounds… fun?" Elyon said.

"It's not." Caleb said, still studying the prints.

"Which is why you should take a break and talk to your Queen." Elyon said.

"And why would I want to do that?" Caleb said absentmindedly. This time it was Elyon's turn to glare.

"Sorry." Caleb said, looking up. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I'm worried about you." Elyon said.

"You're worried about me?" Caleb said, lowering his pencil, "You just lost your powers. I should be worried about you."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about." Elyon replied. "You worry to much."

"You're worried about me because I worry about you?" Caleb asked. "Isn't that just going to make me worry even more?"

"Yes. Wait, no. Wait, hold on…"

Caleb rolled his eyes.

"Elyon, I'm in the middle of serious work here, so if you don't mind…"

"Ah-ha!" Elyon exclaimed. "That's exactly what I'm talking about!"

"Huh?"

"You're always in the middle of 'serious work'." Elyon said. "I never see you smile or laugh anymore. It's like everything you do now is a matter of life and death."

"Elyon," Caleb interupted. "I'm a soldier. Everything I do is life and death."

"You know what I mean." Elyon said with a sigh.

"I'm afraid I don't" Caleb said. "So if you could please get to the point."

"Lighten up."

"Elyon…"

"No, that's the point." Elyon explained. "Lighten up."

"Oh." Caleb said. "What do you mean?"

"I mean take some time to yourself. Relax, have some fun!" Elyon said. "Stop being so serious all the time."

"Well we've been so busy…" Caleb began.

"I know." Elyon said, "And I appreciate your hard work, I do. But if you can't find time to enjoy life, then what's the point of fighting for it?"

Caleb opened his mouth, but didn't say anything. He just frowned.

"Just think about it." Elyon said with a smile. Then she turned and walked away.

"Oh, and I know this might be bad timing, but we're also holding trade talks with Balsilide next week." Elyon said, turning back to face Caleb.

"What?" Caleb said. "When did this happen? What's a Balsilide?"

"Balsilide is another world." Elyon explained. "We were going to reach a trade agreement before Phobos showed up, but since we're at peace again,"

"This week, anyways." Caleb interrupted.

"See, humor. That's good." Elyon said. "Anyways, now that we're at peace again, talks are resuming."

Elyon sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Look, I just want to work towards something positive for once, alright? Something where we can win, instead of just trying not to lose." She said.

Caleb sighed.

"I'll add it to the list."

"That's the spirit." Elyon said, a smile returning to her face. Then she turned with a wave, and walked away.

Caleb looked at his plans. Maybe she had a point; maybe he did take things to seriously. Maybe he should relax more. He turned to write something on one of the blueprints, but was stopped by the sound of his pencil snapping on the first word. He gritted his teeth. Then again…

Kandrakar

The girls, led by Minnio and Halinor, strode between the pillars and spires of Kandrakar on their way to the council room. As Will looked up at the massive celling, she realized she didn't feel the same sense of awe that usually accompanied a trip to Kandrakar. Instead, it was replaced with a feeling of contempt. As they entered the council room, however, she once again felt awe. Every seat in the large, circular, room was filled by an elder. Will had no idea there were even this many people in Kandrakar. Only a small section in the front row was left vacant, which the girls promptly filled. As she analyzed the room, she noticed a large, round container at the top of the domed roof, which had not been there in previous visits. It was filled with small, black and white dots, giving the container an overall grey appearance.

Hay Lin scanned the massive crowed, looking for her grandma. After a minute of searching, she was surprised to find not only the altermere version of Yan Lin, but the real one as well. They were both sitting across the room from her. It looked as though the Yan Lin's were trying to signal her, but she was unable to make out their message before her thoughts were interrupted.

The elders stood as two men walked into the room, and took their place in the center of the chamber. The first man Will instantly recognized as the Oracle. Will remembered that he had not looked well the last time they had seen him, and he looked no better now. His skin was wrinkled, and he stood bent over. It was as if he had aged twenty years in the last month. He wore plain white robes, as did the rest of the elders, except his had a black trim.

The second man none of the girls had ever seen before. He looked the direct opposite of the Oracle. He was young, strong, and was quite handsome. He had long, dark hair, with two grey lines running over his ears. His robe was adorned with two bright red stripes that were both trimmed with gold, as were his sleeves. Will did not have to wait long to find his name.

"Elders, Guardians, thank you for coming." Minnio said, heading into the center of the room. "Leading today's session will be the wise Endarno." Minnio said, pointing to the second man.

"The Oracle of Kandrakar will be the subject of the judgement." Minnio continued.

"And now, let us begin!"


	4. Whole Truth, And Nothing But The Truth

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 3

The Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth

Kandrakar

"Would someone please tell me what's going on?" Will stood and shouted.

Endarno and the Oracle still stood in the center of the council room, accompanied by Minnio. Despite Minnio announcement that they would now begin, Will refused to do anything until she exactly what was beginning.

The eyes of everyone in the room, fell upon her. At this point, she didn't really care.

"I would like nothing better then to explain everything that has happened over the past few weeks." Endarno said sympathetically. "But unfortunately, it is imperative that this be done as soon as possible."

Will sat down, still fuming at the lack of answers.

"Could you at least tell us what 'this' is?" Cornelia asked, picking up where her friend left off.

"We realize that Kandrakar has gone through some tough times lately." Taranee said, "But understand that we too have suffered recently, and if we knew some more information, we might be able to make things better for us, as well as Kandrakar."

Endarno smiled.

"You speak with a wisdom well beyond your years, Taranee." he said, causing Taranee to blush. "All of you deserve an explanation, but I can only tell you now is that you will get one. Later."

Cornelia noticed the Oracle open his mouth, but then thought better of whatever he was going to say, and remained silent. Cornelia frowned.

"Surely the Oracle can give us some information…" she said.

"Actually," Endarno said, interrupting Cornelia, "the Oracle is the reason that you are here."

"No surprise there." Irma said. Will couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw Endarno smile when he heard this. If he did, it was only briefly.

"Tell me, Will, what are your opinions of the Oracle?"

"The Oracle?" Will asked, surprised.

"Yes. You've had a lot of experience with him." Endarno said. "Kandrakar would be very interested in your view of his work, Will."

Will looked at the Oracle, but nothing on his face gave her any indication as to what was going on.

"W.I.T.C.H has no official leader." Will said. "I wouldn't feel confortable speaking on behalf of my fellow Guardians."

"That's very noble of you." Endarno said. "Please, feel free."

"_Thanks Will." _Cornelia said telepathically as the rest of the girls slowly stood.

"_I'm just trying to buy us some time. I didn't think he'd actually go for it." _Will thought back. "_I don't really know what to say."_

"_What do you want to say?" _Irma asked.

"_Well," _Will thought, _"The oracle has never been outwardly mean to us, but he's made so many mistakes."_

"_Nerissa." _

"_Exactly. And don't forget that he allowed himself to be imprisoned by Nerissa as well."_

"_And where was he when you were captured, Will? We could have rescued you right away if the Oracle had told us where you were earilier."_

"_I know, I agree. But I just feel like there's something we don't understand."_

"_What's there to understand? We don't like the Oracle. And that's the truth."_

"_I agree."_

"_Me too."_

"_Will, My grandma always said that if you don't know what to say, just tell the truth."_

"Your grandmother is a very smart woman, Hay Lin." Endarno said.

"Thank you." Hay Lin replied. She paused for a second. "Wait a minute…"

"How did you know what we were talking about?" Taranee asked Endarno.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Irma added.

"Not eavesdropping, exactly." Endarno said. "Kandrakar believes that there should be no secrets inside the fortress walls. Because of this, any telepathic conversations are heard aloud throughout the fortress."

"You could have told us before we…" Will began.

"I could have." Endarno said. "But it is important that your opinions are as candid as possible. Besides, would any of you now like to change what your statements?"

The girls thought about this for a moment.

"No." Will said. "I'm sorry Oracle, but what we thought, what you heard, that is how we truly feel."

"Very well." Endarno said. "Let the council judge accordingly."

Meridian

Vathek, Julian and Walli sat in the mess hall, eating their meals. They had been busy ever since Dee's attack, and were grateful for the rare rest. Without Elyon's powers, repairs were going slower then expected. Tomorrow's meeting with Balsilide was also hanging over their heads.

"So, Walli," Julian said, "It seems that you're sticking with us a bit longer."

"Yes." Walli said, poking at his food. "I think I can do more good here then at my village. Besides, I think I like it here. It's… fun."

"C'mon!" Vathek said with a smile, "We all know the real reason you're still here. She's 5' 6", has brown hair…"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Walli said, staring at his food.

Walli blushed and Vathek started to laugh, but abruptly stopped when Raythor entered the room.

Vathek glared at Raythor, who quietly got his food, and sat down at the table next to the others. Vathek continued to stare at Raythor as he ate his meal. Neither said anything for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Raythor broke the silence.

"If you have something to say to me, Vathek, then say it." he said, without looking up from his meal.

"Why are you here?" Vathek asked, continuing his unblinking stare.

"You mean the mess hall?" Raythor replied. "Well, it's raining outside, and I couldn't have lunch in the market, so I decided to eat in…"

"Don't play dumb with me!" Vathek shouted, standing up, "You know very well what I'm talking about!"

"I'm afraid I don't, Vathek, so you'll have to explain it to me." Raythor said calmly,

"Why are you here?" Vathek repeated more loudly. "Why are you in this castle? Why are you on this team?"

"Ah. If that's what you're confused about," Raythor replied, "I suggest you ask Caleb. He's the one who asked me to stay."

"Then what have you done to Caleb?" Vathek said, pounding his fist against Raythor's table. "Are you controlling him? Did you find the Horn of Hypnos again perhaps?"

"My, my, Vathek. So quick to question Caleb's judgement." Raythor replied in a steady voice. "Trouble in paradise?"

"How dare you question my…"

"ENOUGH!"

Both men turned sharply to face Elyon standing in the doorway, eyes blazing.

"You want to know why he's here, Vathek?" Elyon said striding up to the big warrior, "He's here because he's one of Meridian's finest."

"He is not…" Vathek began.

"That's Caleb's call, not yours." Elyon said. "And I for one, trust Caleb's judgement."

Elyon caught Raythor smiling and shot him a fierce glare.

"As for you," She said, bearing down on Raythor, "don't think I've forgotten all that you've done under Phobos. You hurt a lot of innocent people, and your name isn't even close to being clean."

She took a step back and faced both of them.

"Now, I expect both of you to get back to work, and I don't want any more trouble between either of you. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am." Raythor said, then headed for the door. Elyon turned to Vathek.

"Understand?"

"Yes ma'am." Vathek said, and headed for the opposite door.

Elyon sighed, and then spotted Walli and Julian sitting at the table behind her.

"Well? Don't you two have anything better to do?"

Walli and Julian jumped up from the table, and quickly rushed out of the room. After they had gone, Elyon sat down at the table and took a deep breath.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Caleb."

Then she got up, and headed outside to work.

Kandrakar

Will followed Endarno's gaze skyward, and looked up at the container high above the council room. As she watched, it began to change colors. While before it had had a grey appearance, it was now turning darker and darker. Will didn't understand. Everything was happening too fast. She didn't know what to say or what to do. She just wanted to go home. The container continued to shift from grey to darker and darker shades, until eventually only a few drops of white stood out in the black container.

"It's settled then." Endarno said, looking back at the elders. Once again, Will thought she caught a glimpse of a smile.

"The council of Elders has made their decision." Minnio said. "And it is this: As of now, the Oracle is stripped of his tittle, and will no longer be ruler of Kandrakar. Thank you for your time."


	5. Consequences

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 4

Consequences

Kandrakar

The Guardians stood motionless for a few seconds as the rest of the elders filed out around them. Minnio had just made his announcement.

"Um, excuse me," Irma said, catching Endarno's attention, "But I think I speak for the rest of the Guardians when I ask, what just happened?"

"Did you not hear Minnio? Did you not understand the council's ruling?" Minnio asked, "The Oracle will be stripped of his title and will no longer be ruler of Kandrakar."

"No, no, we understood that part." Cornelia said.

"Then what part of Minnio's announcement are you having difficulty with?" Minnio asked, getting impatient.

"I… I don't even know where to begin…" Will stammered.

"I'm afraid I don't have the luxury of explaining to you all that has happened today." Endarno began. "But if you'll…"

"Oh, no." Will interrupted. "We've done nothing but help Kandrakar over the last few years, but we need, no, no, demand answers!"

The elders that had not yet left turned and looked at Will, who started to blush.

"Please?" Hay Lin added.

Endarno smiled.

"I did not say you wouldn't get answers, Guardians," he said. "I simply said that I, personally, would not be able to give them to you. However, I'm sure you're all familiar with elder Yan Lin."

Endarno stepped aside to show Yan Lin, sitting down with her arms crossed, glaring at the girls.

"Oh. Uh, hi Grandma." Hay Lin said with a wave.

"Now if you'll excuse me." Endarno said, turning to leave, "I have a lot of work to do."

"Man, this is just not our day." Irma said as the group headed towards Yan Lin.

Meridian

Caleb's sword sang as it sliced through the air. Another dozen enemies flew through the air, unable to compete with Caleb's unmatched skill and strength. A green mace sped towards him, but he ducked at the last second. The Tracker appeared in front of him, daring him to attack. Caleb obliged, and within seconds the Tracker had also been vanquished. As he stood over the Tracker's fallen body,

"Caleb, how much military strength can we spare from the castle?"

The tracker disappeared in a puff of smoke as Elyon's question snapped Caleb back to reality. He sat up with a jerk. He had been caught daydreaming. The eyes of councilmen were upon him, and he swallowed hard.

"Um, the Honor Guard can do most of the work at the site itself." He said. "I wouldn't want to leave the castle too weak, so I'd prefer if most of the main military stayed at the castle."

"Of course." Elyon said, eyeing him suspiciously. "Will that be acceptable, councilmen?"

Caleb sighed with relief. He hated meetings. Hated them. And this one seemed like it had gone on for hours. Meridian was currently in talks with the delegates from Balsilide, a planet Caleb had never heard of, but apparently had had good trade relations with Meridian before Phobos. They were now trying to rekindle these relations.

If Earth had technology, and Meridian had magic, Balsilide was somewhere in the middle. They had an equal balance between magical entities and technological might. They had recently invented their first steam engine, and had started the mass production of vehicles and firearms. They had nothing even close to what Earth had, but still better then Meridian. They were also well aware of magic, unlike Earth. They even had a few magical creatures and people, but not on the scale that Meridian did. This combination of magic and technology made them a powerful ally, or a dangerous enemy.

Elyon was currently trying to revive a plan for creating a permanent portal between the two worlds. It was ambitious, but if successful, it would greatly help the economy of both planets. Caleb didn't understand a lot of it. While it was nice that they were doing something other them being attacked or conquered, if there was nothing to fight or stab, Caleb wasn't really that interested, or useful.

He looked across the room at Aldarn, who represented Meridian's official military. Caleb smiled as he noticed that his friend was nodding off as well. The trouble was, they had been at war for over twenty years. No one really knew how to handle one of these meetings. All the Meridain councilmen were ex-warriors, not negotiators.

Caleb glanced over at Elyon. He had to admit, she was holding her own, despite the circumstances. That girl was tough as nails when she wanted to be.

"Caleb,"

He snapped to attention at the sound of his name.

"We would like your Honor Guard to meet with the R.E.G." One of the Balsilidian councilmen said.

"Of course." Caleb said with a smile. "Tomorrow afternoon?"

"That would be excellent." The councilman said.

As soon as the councilman turned back to Elyon, Caleb started flipping through his notes to figure out who, or what, the R.E.G. was. After a few minutes of searching, he found the right page.

The R.E.G, or the Royal Elite Guard, was Balsilide's premier military squad, and were charged with protecting the president and other high-ranking officials. They were considered Balsilide's finest military force, and one of the best fighting forces in the universe. The R.E.G. consisted of seven of Balsilide's finest warriors, as chosen by a series of grueling tests. In short, they were Balsilide's version of the Honor Guard. Or, more accurately, the Honor Guard was Meridian's version of the R.E.G.. Caleb was happy the R.E.G. were on his side.

Two elite guards, working together. Caleb smiled. What could possibly go wrong?

Kandrakar

"So," Irma said, sitting down next to Hay Lin, "On a scale of one to Phobos, how badly did we just screw up?"

"It wasn't your fault." Yan Lin began.

"Wow, that bad." Irma said.

The girls sat in a circle around Yan Lin, Hay Lin sitting the closest of course. Although she didn't like the circumstances, Hay Lin enjoyed any time spent with her Grandma.

"Saying what is on your mind is never wrong." Yan Lin said, reassuring the Guardians. "But sometimes it has consequences."

"In this case it got the Oracle fired." Cornelia said.

"Himerish brought this on himself." Yan Lin replied. "Ever since…"

"Woah, back up." Will interrupted. "Who's Himerish?"

"Himerish is the Oracle's true name." Yan Lin said. "It's what we must call him since he is no longer Oracle."

"Funny, he doesn't look like a Himerish." Hay Lin said.

"The council has been questioning him ever since Phobos gained control of Meridian." Yan Lin said, ignoring her Granddaughter.

"And I'm guessing it got worse after he allowed Nerissa to imprison him." Will said.

"Yes." Yan Lin replied. "But we were all fooled by Nerissa. It was not his fault. However, for many, it was his handling of the Zamballa situation that was the last straw."

Will eyed Yan Lin strangely.

"You mean when he unleashed a criminal onto Zamballa." Will said. "Yeah, I can see how some people could get annoyed by that."

"Nevertheless, Zamballa is now at peace." Yan Lin said.

"What about when I was captured?" Will asked. "Why did he wait so long to help?"

It was clear that Will was getting annoyed. Taranee put her hand on Will's shoulder, trying to calm her friend down, but Will shook it off.

"Will, you don't understand…" Yan Lin began.

"What I don't understand is why you keep defending him!" Will said. "I'm glad he's no longer Oracle!"

Yan Lin took a deep breath.

"After Zamballa, the council decided it was time to re-evaluate their leader." Yan Lin said. "They put the fortress on lockdown, to insure that no outside thoughts interfered with their own. No one was allowed in or out, and no contact with the rest of the universe was allowed."

"That's why we didn't hear anything from them for so long." Taranee said. "And why we couldn't get into Kandrakar."

"Exactly." Yan Lin said. "But then the Ora…, I mean Himerish, discovered that Will had been captured. He tried to help immediately, but that rest of the council wouldn't let him break lockdown."

"Uh oh." Will said. She could see where this was going, and she didn't like it.

"He eventually went behind their backs, and contacted you anyways." Yan Lin continued. "When the Council found out, they decided to hold judgment. Your testament sealed the deal."

Will leaned back, closed her eyes and swore at herself. Once again, she had let her emotions get the better of her. Once again, she had acted with out thinking and, once again, she had made a huge mistake.

Meridian

Vathek and Caleb walked down the long hallway until they had found the door they were looking for. Caleb knocked on the door three times.

"Mr. Jantique?" Vathek said, "Your presence is required in Council room 3."

There was no answer.

"Mr. Jantique?" Caleb asked.

Mr. Jantique was one of the Balsilidian delegates that were preforming talks with Meridian. He hadn't been seen since the night before, and now he was late for an important meeting. Caleb and Vathek had agreed to retrieve him. Caleb knocked on the door again.

"You got the keys?" Caleb asked Vathek.

Vathek pulled out a ring of keys and quickly selected the appropriate one. He inserted in the lock and the door swung open.

"Mr. Jantiqu… OH!"

Mr. Jantique lay face down in a dried pool of his own blood. A dagger was sticking out his back. Vathek kneeled beside the body as Caleb ran to the window. All Caleb could see was a solitary castle tower in the distance. He looked down, but the smooth castle walls were impossible to climb and showed no signs of any attempt.

"How did this happen?" Caleb asked, looking around the room. "You can't climb the walls, that tower's too far away for a throw, and we've got guards everywhere. They couldn't have snuck in…"

"This is an assassin's blade." Vathek said, taking the blade out of the man's back.

"How can you tell?" Caleb asked, kneeling beside the body.

"It's a cheep, but efficient blade." Vathek responded. "Easy to get in large quantities and very cost-effective. Also, look at the handle. No design, no symbols. Nothing that we can use to trace it back to the owner or the maker."

Caleb stared at his friend.

"When I was undercover during the rebellion, I met a lot of assasians." Vathek said. "All the good ones used daggers like this."

"Good enough for me," Caleb responded. "Now lets…"

"Stop right there!"

Vathek and Caleb spun to find two members of the R.E.G. standing in the doorway. Both of them had their swords drawn.

"You won't get away with this." one of them said.

"Get away with what?" Vathek asked.

Caleb looked from the R.E.G. members, to the dead Balsilidian diplomat, to the bloody dagger in Vathek's hand.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."


	6. Meet the Neighbors

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 5

Meet the Neighbors

"So, let me see if I understand everything correctly." Taranee said. "The Oracle, I mean Himerish, was the only member of Kandrakar who cared enough about us to tell us where Will was being held by Riddle."

"Correct." Yan Lin replied

"And because of this, the elders of Kandrakar did some kind of, weird, trial against him, right?"

"Right."

"Then when they asked us to give testimony, we said all the things we hated about him, not knowing what he had done for us, and we got him kicked out."

"Right."

"O.K., just checking."

The Guardians sat on the front row of Kandrakar's council room, circling Yan Lin. The six of them were now the only ones still in the room.

"So, what happens now?" Cornelia asked.

"Now, Kandrakar elects a new leader." Yan Lin said.

"How long will that take?" Hay Lin asked.

"A couple of weeks probably." Yan Lin responded. "It is dangerous for the fortress to go to long without a permanent leader."

"Any idea who's running for the position?" Taranee asked.

"Hey, Grandma, can't you do it?" Hay Lin asked. "That would be so cool!"

"Well," Yan Lin said with a smile, "I have been thinking about it."

"Alright!" Hay Lin shouted. "Oracle Grandma!"

"Settle down, child." Yan Lin said. "There's no guarantee I'll win. Especially if Endarno chooses to run."

"Endarno?" Irma said. "Wasn't he the guy who did the thing?"

"You mean the man who ran the judgment?" Yan Lin said with a sigh.

"Yeah! Wasn't he that guy?"

"Yes, he was." Yan Lin replied. "And he will also be the favorite to replace Himerish."

"But we've never even seen that guy before." Cornelia said. "How could he able to…?"

"While Endarno is relatively new in the fortress," Yan Lin said, "He has already gained quite a following. Minnio, for one, is almost always with him. He has become the most popular person in Kandrakar."

"How could he do that in such a short time?" Taranee asked.

"It's important you understand Endarno's history." Yan Lin said. "Himerish, our old Oracle, was a healer. If he had a failing, it was that he cared too much for his patients. Endarno, on the other hand, is a lawyer and a politician."

"A lawyer and a politician?" Irma interrupted. "That's like a double combo of evil."

"But he is also very smart." Yan Lin continued. "He is able to do great things with his intelligence, and with his words. They are his greatest weapons. He has a certain charm that even I have fallen for before."

"So what about us? What do we have to do now?" Irma asked. "Go around ringing doorbells? Shake some hands and kiss some babies?"

"No," Yan Lin said with a smile. "You work is done for now."

"In other words, we've done enough damage already." Will said, getting to her feet. "And we should be getting home. It's late."

"Yes, you should." Yan Lin said, as the girls turned to leave. "Say hello to your parents for me Hay Lin."

"Will do Grandma!"

"Um, Yan Lin?" Will said.

"Yes Will?"

Will opened her mouth to say something, and then shut it again.

"Just, thanks." She said. "For everything."

"My pleasure." Yan Lin said with a smile. "And don't be so hard on yourself."

Will opened a portal back to Meridian, and the Guardians disappeared from Kandrakar. Yan Lin's smile faded after the girls had gone. She was worried about Will. The girl had a heavy heart, in more ways then one. She shook her head and started walking to her quarters. She would have to worry about Will later. She had enough problems of her own, and not a lot of time in which to fix them.

Meridian

Elyon sat at her desk, and closed her eyes. To the left of her sat the military leader of Balsilide, a Ms. Wilder. Wilder was a tall middle-aged woman with long grey hair. Her faced was weathered after years of battle, making her look older then she actually was. This was the first time Elyon had met her, and Wilder did not strike Elyon as someone she wanted to make angry.

On Elyon's right sat Aldarn, the head of Meridian's military. Aldarn had got the role after Caleb had declined the job, choosing instead to focus more on his Honor Guard. This meant that Aldarn had the 'desk job'. It wasn't exactly what he wanted, but he knew that it was what was best for Meridian. It also meant he was on Elyon's side of the table for meetings such as this, which was something he didn't mind.

In front of Elyon was a row of six chairs, all of which were empty. Elyon heard the click of the door and opened her eyes. The Honor Guard filed in one at a time. Caleb, Vathek and Julian sat in the three chairs on the left. The rest of the team stood behind them. Once they had been seated, Balsilide's elite force, the R.E.G., filed in to the right. The R.E.G. consisted of seven people.

Grath was an almost unstoppable force, capable of pushing through almost any barricade. He was also considered one of Balsilide's strongest men. He did the R.E.G.'s heavy lifting.

Hoth and Troth were brothers, who had trained together since childhood. They were both masters of swords and were nearly unbeatable as a team.

The blonde-haired Syln was the R.E.G.'s resident archer, whose speed and accuracy on the battlefield was unmatched. He was loud and cocky, and was rarely quiet during battle.

Laris, the team's lone female, was a mysterious figure. She wore a full facial mask at all times, and rarely said a word. She was a tall, strong woman, whose mere presence could intimidate a foe.

Grimm provided magical support for the team. His natural magical powers, combined with his extensive knowledge of spells and potions made him one of the team's most dangerous members. He was, however, an older man who was not that capable of physical combat.

Lastly, there was the man called Balken. The grim and stoic leader of the R.E.G., Balken was a master at all forms of armed and unarmed combat, and was a brilliant strategist. He was widely considered Balsilide's greatest warrior.

Balken, Mondo and Laris sat down in the chairs, while the rest of the team stood behind them.

Elyon surveyed the group of soldiers in front of her, and took a deep breath.

"So let me see if I understand everything correctly…"


	7. The Little Things

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 6

The Little Things

Meridian

"So let me see if I understand everything correctly…"

1 Hour Earlier

Caleb looked at the two R.E.G. members standing in front of him and Vathek.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

Vathek and Caleb were kneeling over the body of Mr. Jantique, a Balsilidian diplomat that they had just found dead. He had been killed by a dagger in the back, which Vathek had picked up in order to confirm it as the blade of an assassin. When Vathek realized that the members of the R.E.G. suspected him of the murder, he dropped the knife and backed away from the body.

The two R.E.G. members were the brothers, Hoth and Troth. They had entered the room to find Vathek kneeling over the body with a bloody dagger in his hand. Naturally, they had both drawn their swords.

"Um, we can explain. You see Vathek here…" Caleb began.

"There is nothing to explain." Hoth replied. "You have murdered this man, and now you wish to blame someone else."

"No, no, no we were just…"

Caleb was interrupted by Hoth's lunging sword. He side stepped the attack and drew his own sword.

"Vathek, you want to help me out here?" Caleb said, blocking another attack.

"You are fools!" Vathek said.

"Not helping!" Caleb said, now backed into the corner of the room.

"This blood has dried." Vathek said, pointing to the corpse. "He did not die recently. And notice the smell. It would have taken at least twelve hours for the aroma to be this strong."

"But surely the evidence speaks for itself." Troth said, studying the body. "You were caught red handed. Literally."

"Can we at least agree not to kill each other for the next hour or so?" Caleb said as Hoth slowly got closer and closer.

"They are right, brother." Troth said, putting away his sword. "It is not our place to be executioner. Yet."

Hoth sighed.

"Very well." he said, also sheathing his sword. "We will not kill you for the next hour."

Meridian

1 hour later

"Your hour is up." Hoth said, glaring at Caleb.

"Huh?" Elyon said, giving Caleb a puzzled look.

"Don't worry about it." Caleb said with a sigh.

Elyon shrugged and continued.

"Caleb, Vathek, do you find Hoth and Troth's depiction of the events accurate?"

Caleb looked at Vathek.

"Yes, they seem accurate." Caleb said. "Execpt Vathek didn't kill Mr. Jantique."

"So you admit to him holding the dagger?" Syln said.

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean… I mean we didn't…"

Syln smiled as Caleb stumbled through his sentence.

"Look," Elyon said. "The important thing is that we find out what did happen to him. Aldarn?"

"We've had our best men and women analyze the body." Aldarn said, taking out a piece of paper. "All we can tell so far is that he was killed at least twelve hours ago. That would seem to clear Vathek."

Balken laughed and rolled his eyes.

"Something funny?" Raythor asked.

"I'm just not sure we should trust the judgment of anyone who lets you on their Honor Guard, Raythor." Balken said with a smirk.

"I don't really care what your opinion of me is." Raythor said. "But Vathek didn't do this."

"Why do you care, murderer?" Balken replied. "What's one more body to you?"

"Because it's the truth." Raythor replied.

"How would you know? Didn't Vathek work with you during the rebellion? Maybe you're both in on this." Balken said.

"I have worked with him," Raythor said. "And while Vathek is many things, he is also honorable. I've seen Vathek in his darkest moments. I may know him better then anyone here. And I know he didn't murder this man. He couldn't."

"Regardless of Raythor's testimony, Balsilide would have to do their own official investigation." Balsilide's military leader Wilder said.

"Of course." Elyon said. "I hope both of our worlds can work together to solve this murder."

"I've never believed in miracles," Wilder said, standing to leave, "but I suppose there's a first time for everything."

She stood and walked out of the room. The R.E.G. followed. Elyon waved the Honor Guard out until only her and Aldarn remained. As soon as the Honor guard had left, she put her head on her desk. She turned to Aldarn.

"You know, I hate to admit it, but everything was simpler when I would just get captured and let the Guardians do everything."

"Yeah. I miss those days."

Heatherfield

"Irma, how's that cake coming?" Will said into her phone.

Will was lying on her bed, desperately trying to make sure everything was perfect for her mom's fortieth birthday surprise party.

"It's in the oven. Just like the last time you asked." Irma said.

"Right. Sorry Irma."

BOOP

Will switched from Irma's line to Hay Lin's

"How's my dress coming?" Will asked.

"OW!"

"Hay Lin! Are you alright?"

"Let's just say it's a good thing your dress is red." Hay Lin replied, sucking her bleeding finger.

"Sorry. Thanks Hay Lin." Will said.

BOOP

"Taranee, my gift…?"

"Has been ordered and has just left the warehouse." Taranee replied.

BOOP

"Cornelia, how are those invitations looking?" Will asked

"This is still Taranee."

"Oh, sorry Taranee."

BOOP

"Cornelia?"

"Yes?"

"Oh, good." Will said. "How are those invitations looking?"

"They're fine." Cornelia said. "And Will?"

"Yeah?" Will replied.

"Relax." Cornelia said. "We've got this, stop worrying and…"

"Oops, sorry Cornelia, I got another call coming in."

"Fine." Cornelia said with a sigh. "Just promise you'll try to relax. And stop bugging us!"

"I promise." Will replied. "Thanks Cornelia."

BOOP

"Welcome to panic central, how may I help you?"

"Bad timing?" Matt's voice came back through the phone.

"Oh. Hi Matt." Will replied. "Sorry, I'm just stressedbecauseIhavetoplan…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Will, slow down! I can't understand a word you're saying." Matt said.

Will took a deep breath.

"Sorry, I'm just stressed because I have to plan my mom's fortieth." Will said slowly.

"Yeah, that's actually why I'm calling." Matt said. "I can't make it. The band's got a gig, and those are so rare…"

"Don't worry about it." Will said. "To be honest it's one less mouth to feed."

"Great. I think." Matt replied. "Hey, are you alright Will? You told me about what happened in Kandrakar, so I know you're worried about, well, everything. You sure you're holding up?"

"I'm keeping busy." Will said. "This party's good. It takes my mind off things. And it's nice to be planning something that isn't an attack for once."

"Yeah," Matt replied. "Something where the penalty for failure isn't death."

"You obviously don't know my mom." Will said with a laugh.

"Good point." Matt said. "Just tell me you'll try to have fun at the party."

"Of course. I'm actually really looking forward to it." Will said. "Look, I got to go. Good luck with the band. Knock em' dead!"

"Always do. Bye."

"Bye."

Will put away her phone, laid back on her bed, closed her eyes and smiled. The feel of her sheets on her skin, the spring breeze coming through the window and phone calls with Matt. It was the little things that she enjoyed so much. This was life as it should be. She sat up and glanced over at the Heart, lying on her desk. This was her life, and she wouldn't let anything take it away from her. She hopped out of bed, stretched, and headed out to enjoy her life.


	8. Still Life

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 7

Still Life

Balsilide

35 Years Ago

A seven-year-old boy sits at a wooden table, and looks at his plate with suspicion. He swings his feet just inches above the dirt floor. He eyes the rickety door, peering through the cracks and onto the small, dark street outside.

"Taram again?" he asks his aging mother. "We've had Taram for dinner all week!"

"Endarno!" His mother shouts, waving a wooden spoon at him. "Be thankful for what ever food you get! Now eat what's on your plate."

The boy looks down at his food. He sighs.

"Yes mother. Thank you mother."

His mother looks at him lovingly as he pokes at his meal.

"You are a good boy, Endarno." She says, coming over to put her hand on his shoulder. "Someday you will be able to eat whatever you want."

"Really?" Endarno answers, looking up at this mother.

"Really." She replies. "As long as you…"

Her advice is interrupted by a knock on the door.

Heatherfield

Irma sat curled up in her favorite chair, reading her favorite magazine. Below her, her brother Chris is in the middle of intense battle with virtual aliens. Irma turned the page when an explosion made her jump and rip the page. She glanced up at the screen. GAME OVER it exclaimed in big red letters.

"Not again!" Chris yelled at the T.V.

"Chris, can you keep it down!" Irma yelled over the top of her magazine.

"Why, so you can figure out how to make boys like you?" Chris replied.

"For your information…" Irma began, and then caught Chris looking at the cover of the magazine and smiling. 'In this issue: How to make boys like you!' it read in bold letters.

"Just keep it down!" Irma said, retreating back to her magazine.

Irma muttered to herself as she quickly flipped through the pages. Suddenly, something caught her eye.

"Karmilla. Karmilla! KARMILLA!" She shouted, leaping out of her chair.

"Hey, keep it down!" Chris shouted up at her. "Some of us are trying to save the universe here!"

Irma ignored her brother and ran into the kitchen.

"Mom! Dad! Mom! Dad!" She shouted at her parents.

"What do you want now, Irma?" Her dad said with a sigh.

"Karmilla's coming to Heatherfield! In one month!"

"Who, or what, is Karmilla?" Her mom asked.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that." Irma said, glaring at her mother. All she got in return was a blank stare. Irma sighed.

"Karmilla is the biggest, the baddest, and the best rock star in the history of history!" Irma said, shoving the magazine into her mom's face. "And she's coming to Heatherfield next month!"

"Whatever happened to what's his face?" Irma's dad asked. "You know, AMC, or DMV?"

"It's VMJ, and he hates being called that." Irma replied. "And he's good, but Karmilla. Karmilla!"

"So how does this concern us?" Irma's mom asked, eyeing her daughter.

"Can I go?" Irma asked, throwing herself at her mom's feet. "Can I. Can I? Can I!"

"Out of the question."

"WHAT! Why?"

"Times are tough." replied Thomas Lair. "We're barely making it by as it is. We can't afford for you to go see some rock concert."

"But… I… Guh!"

"Maybe if you had a job," Tom said, "then you could go. But until then,"

"A job?" Irma said. "I've heard of those."

"Cute. Now how badly do you want those tickets?"

Irma looked at her magazine, then at her parents, then back at the magazine. She took a good, long look at Karmilla, and took a deep breath. And at that moment, Irma Lair decided to get a job.

Meridian

Elyon and Caleb leaned against the hallway wall, looking at the swarm of men combing over every square inch of Mr. Jantique's room. As the Balsilidians had pointed out, they had nothing to prove Vathek's innocence. However, as the Meridianites had countered, nothing had been found to prove Vathek's guilt. This had resulted in a stalemate, one that would ultimately end poorly for Vathek.

"Do you know what this is?" Elyon asked Caleb.

Caleb glanced over at Elyon.

"This is exactly what I was trying to avoid." Elyon said, continuing to stare into Jantique's room. "Do you know why I wanted to hold a diplomatic conference?"

Once again, Caleb was silent.

"Because they're boring." Elyon continued. "They're very, very boring. Everybody sits around, we have a few drinks, we sign some papers and everyone goes home. It's nice and peaceful. At least that's what happens when everyone else holds one. What happens when we hold one? A foreign diplomat dies. A diplomat dies! Do you have any idea how bad that is?"

"I still don't understand how he could have died." Caleb said, staring back into the room. "There was no way anyone could have entered the room! Maybe that tower…"

"You know," Elyon said, "an inside man could have…"

"Elyon, you can't possibly think Vathek…" Caleb interrupted.

" No, no, no, of course not." Elyon said. "Sorry. Of course it wasn't Vathek. But unless we can convince the Balsilidans of that…"

"What would happen?" Caleb asked.

"If we can't prove his innocence, then he would be taken back to Balsilide to await trial." Elyon said. "But on Balsilide, it's not innocent until proven guilty. It's the opposite. And Balsilidian trials don't take as long Meridian ones or Earth ones. They could find him guilty in a matter of hours."

Neither of them said anything for a while.

"What's the punishment for killing a diplomat on Balsilide?" Caleb asked.

"You don't want to know."

Elyon leaned her head back and looked at the celling.

"Caleb, this would be a really good time for you to work your magic." she said.

Caleb thought about this for a while.

"Elyon, when you need magic, I think we both know who to call."

Balsilide

35 Years Ago

Endarno watches as his mother answers the door. She opens it to find two men in black robes staring back at her. The men fascinate Endarno. He feels as if he has seen men like them before, but can't quite place where.

"Mrs. Fultari?" One of the men asks.

"Yes?" Endarno's mother replies.

Suddenly, Endarno remembered where he had seen them. They had been at his friend Henrit's house, right before Henrit found out his dad had died. But what were they doing here?

"Mrs. Fultari, it's about your husband."

It was the only time Endarno would ever see his mother cry.


	9. Friends in High Places

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 8

Friends in High Places

Balsilide

28 Years Ago

Endarno walks down the street holding a briefcase full of papers in his hand. It was these same papers that probably killed his father. His dad had owned a small, but unsuccessful company, and had owed a very large sum of money at the time of his passing. Although officially ruled an accident, it was widely believed that his death was connected to his debt.

The company then fell to his son, Endarno, who had proved himself quite the businessman. Alone, he had rebuilt the company using his ingenuity, his intelligence and his incredible speaking skills. He had had virtually no help or advice, and was now able to provide for both himself and his mother.

Endarno smiles as he thinks of his mother. In a few weeks, he was going to surprise her. He was going to buy a new house, just for her, so she could be more comfortable. She was not as young as she used to be, and Endarno did not think it right that she still had to cook and clean in such an old, dilapidated house. Endarno's mother was by far the most important person in his life. She was the only one that Endarno had allowed himself to rely on.

He opens the door, and feels his blood run cold. His mother is lying face down, unmoving, in the center of the room. He begins to run towards her, but then stops. There is no sign of breathing. Her skin is pale. Her eyes have glazed over. He can tell she is dead. There is nothing he can do.

For a few seconds, time stands still. For a few seconds, nothing else in the universe is of any importance. And, for a few seconds, he loses control. He destroys the room with his bare hands. He breaks the windows, he smashes the tables, he attacks the walls. They mean nothing to him anymore. Everything important in his life lies in front of him, dead. Nothing else matters. Nothing makes sense. All his work, everything he's done, and once again a loved one is taken from him. He slams his fists until his knuckles bleed. He screams at the sky until his throat is raw. And when he is completely spent, when all the rage and the pain and the anger are gone, he does the only thing he can do. He kneels beside her, and he cries.

Heatherfield

Will's head was fit to burst. Not only was the usual mixture of math, english, science and history that usually floated around after a long day of school present, but party guests and food orders also added to her stress. The first guests were scheduled to show up in an hour, and Will still had to run home and clean, well, everything. And what was that shouting she could hear?

"Hey punk, haven't you heard about the locker tax?"

Uriah. And he was picking on some helpless second grader.

"What locker tax?" The younger kid said, clenching his textbooks.

"A five dollar charge to any odd-numbered lockers." Uriah said with a smirk.

"But I have locker 552." The smaller kid said, pointing the number on his locker.

Uriah looked at the locker and frowned.

"Uh, yeah, but there's also a ten dollar tax on lockers that end with 2." Uriah said.

"But I don't have ten dollars." the kid said, starting to get nervous.

"Well that's too bad." Uriah said, forming a fist.

Will had heard enough.

"Get lost Uriah. Don't you have a rock to crawl under?" She said.

"Mind your own business, Wilma." Uriah said, stressing the last word.

Will noticed the kid had used the distraction to escape.

"Why don't you make me?" Will said, sticking her tongue out.

"Oh, you asked for it." Uriah said advancing on Will.

Will smiled and started to back away. She checked her watch and stopped moving. Uriah got closer and closer until…

WHAM

Suddenly, a door flew open right in front of Uriah and Mr. Collins walked out. Uriah had no time to react and walked right into the open door.

"Ow!" he yelled.

Will smiled. One of the nice things about your mom dating a teacher is that you get to know him pretty well. And Mr. Collins was nothing if not punctual. Every day, without fail, he left his room at 3:28. Will looked at her watch. 3:28 it read. Good old reliable Dean.

"Sorry, did I hit someone… Uriah? What are you doing out here?" Mr. Collins asked.

"Um, nothing." Uriah said, still holding his nose.

"Good. It's time for you to go home."

Uriah glared at Will, and then took off.

"You too, Will." Mr. Collins said. "Is everything ready for tonight?"

"Yep. I trust you're still coming?" Will replied.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Mr. Collins said.

The two of them said goodbye, then headed their separate ways. Will was pretty happy with her self. She had defeated evil, kind of, and hadn't had to use any Guardian powers to do so. In fact, she hadn't had to use any Guardian powers for a while now, and that was the way she liked it. She stopped smiling and began to focus as she headed for home. After all, she had a party to plan.

Meridian

TINK SPLOSH

TINK SPLOSH

TINK SPLOSH

Drake and Caleb stood on the tower facing Mr. Jantique's room. The window was about 150 yards away, and gave a clear view of the precise area where Mr. Jantique had died. If an arrow had killed Mr. Jantique, the shooter would have been undoubtedly standing on this tower. However, he wasn't killed by an arrow, he was killed by a dagger. And, as far as anyone knew, it was impossible to throw a dagger that far. Drake and Caleb were now testing that theory. Drake pulled out a dagger similar to the one that had killed Mr. Jantique and prepared to throw it.

"Alright. Go." Caleb said.

Drake took a second to aim, then threw the dagger with all his might. The knife bounced off the wall about ten feet below the window, TINK, and then landed in the water below, SPLOSH.

"It's no use Caleb." Drake said, rubbing his shoulder, "There's no way I can reach the window. No one can."

"What are you guys doing up here?" Julian said, interrupting the two men.

"Trying to clear Vathek." Caleb said, still looking at the window. "Whoever killed Jantique didn't go through the door, and the wall is to vertical to climb without leaving some kind of mark. That only leaves this window."

"But I can't even come close to reaching it with a dagger." Drake said. "And, at the risk of sounding arrogant, if I can't reach it, no one can."

The three men stood and stared at the window.

"What if they didn't throw it?" Julian said. "What if they shot it?"

"Shot it? I've never heard of anything that could shoot a dagger." Drake said.

"No, not on Meridian." Julian replied. "But there is such a thing on Balsilide."

"There is?" Caleb asked.

"Yes." Julian replied. "Didn't you read the briefing?"

"Yeah."

"All of it?"

"Well, maybe not all of it…"

"Very well." Julian said with a sigh. "Balsilidians have been experimenting for years with long range weapons, everything from different types of bows, to the occasional attempt with firearms and balistics. They have been known to shoot all sorts of different objects. Some shoot arrows, some shoot bullets, and a couple shoot daggers."

"They have a device that shoots daggers?" Drake asked. "How come we don't have one of those? My arm's killing me!"

"Balsilide is much more technologically advanced then we are." Julian said. "And this device is rare and probably difficult to obtain."

"Difficult enough for an assassin?" Caleb asked.

"Not a good one." Julian replied.

"So if we think the weapon is Balsilidian…" Drake said.

"Then the shooter probably is too." Caleb finished. "It's not much, but for now it's the best we've got."

"It's also a moot point." said a voice from behind.

The three men spun to find Elyon standing behind them.

"Balsilide has finished their 'investigation'" Elyon said.

"And?"

"They're convinced it's Vathek." Elyon said. "And I can't change their minds."

"But if we tell them our theory…" Julian began.

"Unfortunately, this isn't about evidence or theories anymore, Julian." Elyon said. "The Balsilidians just want someone to blame and Vathek fits the bill."

"But that's ridiculous!" Caleb said. "Did you tell them…?"

"Caleb, I've done everything I possibly can, believe me, but they're not budging." Elyon said. "They're demanding we hand over Vathek to them so he can go to Balsilide to face trial."

"And if we don't?" Caleb asked, clenching his fist.

"We're not going to war over this." Elyon said. "Too many people will get hurt. I won't let it happen. And neither will Vathek."

"But we know it's not Vathek." Julian said. "We all do. And now we're almost certain that the man we do want is on Balsilide."

"Just let us try to fix this." Drake said. "Let us go to Balsilide and find our guy."

"I can't let Meridian troops into Balsilide." Elyon said. "Not without starting a war."

"What if they weren't Meridian troops?" Caleb said.

"You mean the Guardians." Elyon said.

"They could go, investigate, find the killer and bring him back." Caleb said. "And they would be completely independent from us."

"Caleb, you better be sure about this." Elyon said.

"I am."

Elyon thought about it for a moment.

"I can stall for a day. Maybe two." Elyon said. "Will that buy them enough time? Can they do it that quickly?"

"They can do it." Caleb said.

"Caleb…"

"Elyon, they can do it."

Elyon took a deep breath.

"Alright." she said. "Call them in."

Balsilide

23 Years Ago

Endarno frowns, and flips through the pages of a rather large textbook. He sits in the library at the most prestigious learning institute in Balsilide. Last year, he sold his father's old company for a large sum of money, and is now dedicating himself to the study of law.

It was five years ago to the day that his mother had died of a heart attack. While he still misses her daily, it has also made him stronger. He has learned that he doesn't need anyone but himself to be successful, and that there is little he can't accomplish, no matter what the obstacles in his way. He's perfectly okay being alone.

"What you got there?" comes a voice from in front of him.

He looked up from his book and found himself looking at a beautiful girl. She had short, black hair, and the darkest, deepest eyes Endarno had ever seen. Endarno tries to stop his jaw from dropping to the floor at the sight of her.

"Endarno, right?" she asked as she takes the seat across from him.

"Yeah." Endarno said, trying to still sound calm as his heat raced, "How do you…?"

"You sit in front of me in class." She said. "That's Mr. Cordner's homework, right?"

"Yeah." Endarno said, looking down at the book. He tried to say something clever, or funny, but nothing came out.

"Having trouble with it?" She asked.

"Um, well…"

"So was I." She continued, leaning across the desk to take a look at what he had done. "Then one of my friends walked me through it. Want some help?"

"Yeah, I think I would." He said, extending his hand. "I'm Endarno, but I guess you already know that."

"Ha, yeah I guess I do." She said, shaking his hand. "I'm Jezabella, but everyone just calls me Jez."

"Pleased to meet you Jez." Endarno said.

He smiled. Maybe he didn't have to be completely alone.


	10. Crossroads

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 9

Crossroads

Heatherfield

Irma and Hay Lin walked through the park on the way home form school. Winter was over, and the buds on the trees were just starting to come out. Not surprisingly, this was Hay Lin's favorite time of the year. Everything was seemed brand new, and the world was full of hope. All the mistakes and hardships of the winter had disappeared, and the slate was clean.

"Hay Lin?" Irma asked.

"Yeah?"

"Um, is the Silver Dragon, um, you know…"

"Invisible? On fire? In space? What?"

"No, no! Are you guys, you know, hiring?"

"Hiring? Why?"

"I need a job." Irma mumbled.

"What was that? I didn't quite hear you…"

"I need a job!" Irma said. "Happy? I, Irma Lair, am forced to work."

"How come?" Hay Lin asked trying vainly to hold back a smile.

"Have you checked the concert listings recently?" Irma asked.

"Oh, Karmilla. My parents are getting me tickets. Once I convinced them it was safe." Hay Lin said.

"Yeah, I know." Irma said, arms crossed. "And Taranee's parents are buying her tickets, and Will has a job and Cornelia's rich. But I of humble means, and no job, have to work for it. So how 'bout it? Are you hiring?"

"Sorry, Irma." Hay Lin said. "But ever since Caleb, my parents say that no more of my friends are allowed to work at the Dragon."

"Stupid Caleb. I'm unemployed because he can't tell the difference between a steak and a bowl of soup."

Hay Lin's ringing phone interrupted her laugh. She took her phone out of her pocket and answered it.

"Hello?" Hay Lin said.

"Who is it?" Irma asked.

"It's Cornelia." Hay Lin said. "Looks like we got trouble."

Balsilide

23 Years Ago

Three students sit in various positions in Endrano's dorm room. Endarno sits on the edge of his bed, staring at the wall in concentration.

Jez lies back on the bed, tossing a ball of paper in the air over and over again.

Endarno's best friend, Mikhael, sits at the desk and scribbles notes on a piece of paper. Endarno had met Mikhael a couple of months ago, shortly after he had met Jez. They were in the same class, both incredibly smart, and had quickly become close friends.

"You're not going to get it." Jez says as she catches the ball. "It's impossible."

"Nonsense." Mikhael says.

"No, not nonsense." Jez says as she throws the ball back in the air, "This is literally impossible. Cordner designed this project to be uncompleteable. It is the definition of impossible."

"Uncompleteable? Is that even a word?" Endarno asks, still staring at the wall.

"I'm tired, cut me some slack." Jez says, throwing the ball at Endarno. "Besides, I'm not the only one. You're both exhausted. Listen to me: It. Is. Impossible. Cut your loses and get some sleep."

"The only things that are impossible are the things we're unwilling to try." Endarno says.

"She's right about one thing though, I am exhausted." Mikhael says, crumpling up his notes. "I'm heading home. We can work on this tomorrow, O.K?"

"Fine." Endarno says. He waves as Mikhael heads out the door.

"I'm going too." Jez says. She puts her hand on his knee as she sits up.

"Hey," she says. "You'll get it."

She gets up and begins to head towards the door, but stops when she feels his hand on her shoulder. He spins her around, and kisses her on the lips. She returns it. It is the first time they've ever kissed. They hold it for as long as they can, neither wanting this precious moment to end.

"What took you so long?" she asks when the kiss is done.

"I finally decided to try." He says with a smile.

"Good choice." She says.

Then she pulls him close, and kisses him again.

Heatherfield

Will looked around the living room with a wide grin. Guests had arrived, the food was delicious, and her dress was stunning. The necklace she had ordered for her mother had arrived just in time, and Susan was now proudly displaying it. The party was a huge success.

"Will," Susan said, giving her daughter a hug. "I don't know what to say…"

"Then don't say anything." Will replied. "Just enjoy yourself."

"Thank you so much Will." Susan said with a tear in her eye. "You're the best daughter a mom could have."

Will smiled even wider as her mother walked back to her friends. Will knew she wasn't even close to being the perfect daughter, but it was nice to see her mom smile again. It had been a long time coming. She wondered if this is what it was like to live a normal life. Instead of giant battles, did people live for these moments, for the little victories like successful birthday parties? Would she ever life a normal life again? Did she want to?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. There was no way she was going to be thinking about questions like those on a day like this. This was a party, and she was going to have fun. She was making a return trip to Irma's cake when she heard a familiar song playing from her room. Her heart sank. It was her cellphone ringtone. More specifically, it was her ringtone for Cornelia. Why? Why was she calling? Cornelia knew this was when Will was holding the party, and she didn't want to be disturbed. Why would she be calling? Unless…

She took a deep breath. She was just being paranoid. Cornelia probably just wanted to find out how everything was going. Yes, that was all. She wandered through the crowd of guests towards her room. She reached for the phone and picked it up.

"Cornelia, this is not a good time."

"I know Will, and I'm sorry…"

"Cornelia, if the next words out of your mouth are 'we have a problem', then I may have to hurt you." Will said. She tried to sound calm, but she could feel the fear rising in her.

"Okay," Cornelia said slowly, "we have a situation."

"No." Will said defiantly. "No situations. No problems! I've spent weeks trying to organize this party, and I'm not leaving half way through. I don't care who's attacking what, I'm not going anywhere!"

"Will, you know I wouldn't call you if I didn't think it was important." Cornelia said.

"One day. Just one day to be normal." Will said quietly.

"Will?" Cornelia said, concern in her voice.

"Why can't someone else deal with it?" Will asked

"You know no one else can do what we do." Cornelia asked. "It has to be us."

"We've given to much." Will said, her voice getting stronger and stronger. "I've given to much. Let me have this day! Just one day, Cornelia."

Neither of the girls said anything for a while. Will could feel her emotions taking control of her.

"I can't force you to come." Cornelia said after a while, "But if you don't, you know that innocent people, people we care about, are going to get hurt and probably die."

Another long pause. Will looked out of her door at the party still going on in the other room. She wanted to scream.

"It's up to you." Cornelia said. "The rest of us will be in Meridian. Make your choice."

Balsilide

22 Years Ago

Sunset falls on Balsilide, as Endarno and Jez sit watching it. They sit atop a hill, underneath a large tree. The city beneath them is lit up like a jewel. Endarno has his arm wrapped around Jez's waist. It was their one-year anniversary, and they were celebrating it in style. A dinner at the most expensive restaurant in town, and an evening together watching the sun go down.

"It's beautiful!" Jez says, sliding closer to Endarno.

"My mother used to bring me here all the time." Endarno says. "I haven't been here since."

"Why not?" Jez asks.

"I guess I was just waiting for someone special." Endarno replies, looking into her deep, dark eyes.

She leans over and gives him a kiss. Two of them sit watching until the sun disappears behind the city.

"Thank you." Endarno says.

"For what?" Jez asks as she looks up at him, puzzled.

"Before I met you, I didn't think I had anyone to rely on." He says "I thought I had to do everything myself. I know I can, but now I don't have to. Now, I have you. So thank you."

"I'm glad to be here." She says, smiling.

They share another kiss as the cold night air softly blows around them, offering relief from the heat of the day. The two lovers embrace is soon silhouetted against the full moon rising behind them.

Endarno does not know that twenty-two years from now, he will look back on this day as the happiest of his life. For now, it feels as if this moment will never end. For now, all that matters is the touch of her skin, and the feel of her hair against his face. For now, he is content.


	11. The Greater Good

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 10

The Greater Good

Balsilide

20 Years Ago

Endarno looks himself over in the mirror, and frowns. His shoes have been shined till they gleam. His long black pants have an immaculate crease running from hip to heal. His custom made suit is spotless. He has put hours of work making sure his appearance is perfect for this perfect evening. Yet despite of all his work, one tuff of hair threatens to ruin everything by standing perfectly erect. He once again runs it over with a comb. Within seconds it has popped back up. Endarno sighs.

It has been three years since he had met Jez, and he had something very special planned to celebrate. It is something he had been working on for weeks, and he refused to let it be ruined by some unruly follicles.

Maybe he would just wear a hat, he thinks. He shakes his head. No, it has to be perfect. It has to be perfect for her. After another few minuets of fighting and combing, the offending hairs fall in line with the others, and Endarno is finally satisfied.

He checks the time and takes a deep breath. There's no point in waiting any longer. He grabs a small, velvet box, and heads out the door.

Meridian

Caleb entered the throne room to find Elyon on her hands and knees, peering under her throne.

"Looking for something?" he said with a smile.

"Yeah, the mage ring." Elyon said, getting up to look somewhere else.

"The mage ring? Didn't we store in the trophy room after Cedric's defeat?" Caleb said.

"Yeah, we did, but it's not there anymore." Elyon replied.

"What? Where did it go?" Caleb asked, getting concerned.

The mage ring was one of the most powerful artifacts in the world. With it, Nerissa had disguised her self from Phobos, the Guardians, Elyon and all of Kandrakar, which was no easy task.

"Caleb, if I knew where it went, I wouldn't be looking for it." Elyon said with a sigh.

"Good point." Caleb said. "Do you need it right away? 'Cause I could put together a team to try and find it…"

"Don't bother, we can't spare the man power." Elyon said. "And I don't need it right away, I just thought I could tap into its power, maybe get some of my magic back."

Caleb frowned.

"Elyon, I thought you were okay with not having any powers." Caleb said.

"I am, I am." Elyon said, reassuring her friend. "Believe me, I glad I made the choice I did. I just thought with everything that's going on, it'd be nice to have some power in my back pocket. I don't like relying on the Guardians to do all our dirty work. Speaking of which…"

"Just called Cornelia." Caleb said. "Which reminds me, I have to create a fold. Gimme a sec."

Caleb pulled out the Tonga tooth and created a fold from the throne room to Cornelia's bedroom.

"There." He said when it was done, "They should be here any…"

He was interrupted as Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin emerged from the fold Caleb had provided and stepped into Elyon's throne room.

"…Second. Not bad, huh? How's that for timing." Caleb finished, smiling proudly.

"Girls! It's good to see you again." Elyon said, running to greet them. "Although I wish it was under better circumstances."

"When is it ever?" Taranee said.

"Where's Will?" Caleb asked, after giving Cornelia a hug.

"We're… We're not sure she's coming."

"What do you mean?" Elyon asked.

"Well, it's a very important night for her. It's her mom's fortieth birthday…" Hay Lin said.

"She's been planning it for weeks." Taranee added. "It's means a lot to her."

"A party?" Caleb said. "Does she realize what's at stake? Vathek could…"

Elyon put a hand on Caleb's shoulder, and Caleb felt silent.

"Caleb, although a bit passionate, does have a point." Elyon said. "I've always trusted Will's judgment, but are you sure she knows what she's doing? Does she know what's at stake?"

"She knows as much as we do." Cornelia said. "Which you have to admit, isn't a whole lot."

"I know." Elyon said. "I guess I should fill you in, Will or no Will."

"I can't believe she wouldn't come." Caleb said. "I thought she cared. I thought she was better."

"Geez, Caleb, have some faith." said a voice from behind.

The group turned to see Will appear through a fold.

"Will!" Caleb said. "Uh, I didn't mean, that is, um… I never doubted you for a second."

"Save it." Will said, walking past Caleb.

"Good to see you, Will." Elyon said.

"Will, what about your mom?" Hay Lin asked.

"She's having a lovely dinner with Dean. And not me." Will said. "So I'm not really in the best of moods. Elyon, tell me you've got some heads for me to bust."

"Sure," Elyon said. "You just got to find them. Here, let me explain…"

Elyon proceeded to fill the girls in on what had happened over the past week.

She explained who the Balsilidians were, and who the R.E.G. were. She told them about Mr. Jantiques' murder, and how Vathek had been found holding the murder weapon. She explained what Vathek's punishment would be if he was taken back to Balsilide, and she told them about their theory of how Mr. Jantique was truly murdered. After the girls had digested this, Irma was the first to speak.

"So, basically, we have to go a world we've never been to, and do our best Sherlock Holmes impressions while finding who made the dagger, and the thing that shot it."

"Elementary, my dear Irma." Elyon said.

"Why us?" Will asked. "Isn't this something the Honor Guard would be better at?"

"Yes, it would." Caleb said. "But if the Balsilidians thought that Meridian was sending a team into Balsilide, against their wishes, it could spark a war."

"The Guardians are neutral." Elyon said. "Kinda. It's enough that if you get caught, they can't blame us."

"Woah, woah, wait a second!" Taranee said, waving her arms, "What do you mean, get caught? What are they gonna catch us doing? And what happens, if we do 'get caught.'"

"Theoretically, all you're doing is investigating a murder." Caleb said.

"But the Balsilidians aren't stupid. They know we're friends." Elyon said. "If they find you're there, before you find the murderer, they won't be happy. And it won't take them long to figure out who sent you. So if you could try not to draw to much attention to yourself…"

"It would save you a lot of hassle?" Hay Lin finished.

"Yeah."

"And we wouldn't want you to bothered." Will said sarcastically, "That would be dreadful."

Caleb glared at Will, but Elyon cut him off.

"I really appreciate this Will." Elyon said. "I can imagine how difficult this must be."

"No, you can't." Will said. "You…"

Will threw her arms in the air and exhaled sharply.

"Ahhh, I'm sorry Elyon. It's not your fault. I'm just frustrated."

Elyon frowned as Will leaned back against the wall, arms crossed.

"You girls should get ready to go." Elyon said.

As the rest of the Guardians shuffled out, Elyon went over to Will and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You alright Will?" Elyon asked.

"I don't know." Will said. "Its just… One day, you know? All I asked is for one day where I didn't have to be a Guardian. Is that too much to ask?"

"Believe it or not, Will, I know exactly what you mean." Elyon said. "When I came to Meridian, I lost any hope of having a normal life. And let me tell you, being a queen isn't as much fun as it looks in cartoons. There's a lot of hard work, and I've had to sacrifice a lot."

"Just like me." Will said.

"Not exactly." Elyon replied. "You see, I was born into this role. This is who I have to be. I don't have a choice. You still do. You have the opportunity to change who you are."

Will thought about this for a second. What Elyon was saying made a lot of sense to her, and it was similar to what she had already been thinking. But could she dare to make that choice?

"What do you think I should do?" Will asked.

"In the long run? I don't know. That's up to you." Elyon said. "But for now? I know exactly what you should do now."

"What?"

Elyon smiled.

"Go kick some bad guy butt!"

Balsilide

20 Years Ago

Endarno approaches Jez's house. The light is on. Good, that meant she was home. He wants this to be a surprise, so she isn't expecting him.

He fiddles with the velvet box in his pocket. He takes a deep breath, and pulls out the key to her house. She had given it to him a year ago. She had said he was welcome at any time. He closes his eyes. His heart is racing. His adrenaline is pumping. He steadies himself, and opens the door.

His stops, and for a moment, he feels like his heart will too.

In front of him is Jez and Mikheal, his best friend, locked in a passionate embrace. Their eyes are closed, and their lips are entwined. They are so engrossed with one another, that they don't see Endarno immediately. He simply stands there motionless, temporarily unable to comprehend what he is seeing. After a few seconds, Jez opens her eyes.

"Endarno!" she screams, leaping away from Mikheal.

Mikheal spins around in shock. Both of them have an expression of pure terror. They make no attempt to hide what they have been doing. They come up with no excuses. There is no need. Endarno says nothing. He only turns around, and walks through the door.

As he wanders through the dim streetlight, the cold night air does nothing to soothe his rage. He takes out the velvet box and opens it. He removes the diamond ring inside of it, and throws it into the nearest sewer.

This has taught him a lesson. It is the same lesson he learned after his mother had died. Never become attached. His loved ones will only be taken away from him. He doesn't need to rely on anyone but himself. He needs no one else.

He did not heed this lesson the first time, and once again he has been hurt. Next time, he swore he would not make the same mistake. From now on, he was alone. And that was exactly the way he wanted it.


	12. Attitude Adjustment

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 11

Attitude Adjustment

Balsilide

15 Years Ago

Endarno sits at his desk, scribbling on a piece of paper. He frowns, crumples up what he's written, and throws it into the corner of the room.

It has been five years since he had graduated from law school. Five years since he had last seen Jez. Since then, he has dedicated himself to his work. He has become a very promising young lawyer. He had recently become partners with a Mr. Andru Walson, the best lawyer in Balsilide. Together, they were undefeated.

Yesterday, they had received a new case. A man named Heesam was being accused of killing his father in order to gain the inheritance. They had to prove he didn't

On the desk in front of Endarno were two folders. One of them contained Endarno's defense strategy. The other held Walson's. Both of them had very different ideas on how the case should be handled. Walson had repeatedly refused to use Endarno's strategy, and had used his experience and reputation to ensure that he got his way.

Endarno was now looking over these plans, but no matter how many times he ran it through his head, he always came to the same conclusion. Walson's plan, the one they were going to use, wouldn't work. It couldn't. Endarno was convinced that the only way they could win the case is by using Endarno's strategy. But Walson was a stubborn and arrogant man. It would be tough to convince him of this.

Endarno shoved Walson's folder off the table and stood up. Time to take matters into his own hands.

Balsilide

Five.

That's what Irma was thinking when she exited the fold and stepped onto Balsilide for the first time. Earth, Meridian, Kandrakar, Zamballa and now Balsilide. She had been to five different worlds.

Nothing excited Irma more then going to a new world for the first time. It was what she lived for. The new sights, smells and sounds, she loved them all. Who knew what hidden secrets this world held? She wanted to spend hours searching every street and every store. But one look at Will told her she wasn't going to get the chance. Her friend was all business.

"Right, where do we start?" Will said as soon as the fold had been closed.

The girls were standing in the middle of a darkened alley. The five of them wore cloaks to hide their wings and bright uniforms. As they entered into the fading sunlight, they discovered that they were in one of the seedier parts of the city. Old, crumbling buildings surrounded them on all sides.

"Well, if movies have taught me anything, it's that you can always get information at a bar." Cornelia said, pointing at a particularly run-down building. A sign dangling above the door read KNOR'S, and had a picture of a foaming drink.

"Fine." Will said. "I should be in an expensive restaurant with my mom, but a shady looking bar on a far away planet is just as good."

The girls followed Will towards the building and went inside. The bar itself was dimly lit, with a rather interesting and unique aroma. A dense musk filled every corner of the building, causing Hay Lin to choke slightly when she entered.

The bartender was a tall, hefty, fellow, with a grey mustache. A sign behind the bar told the girls that this was Knor. He eyed them up and down suspiciously.

"Aren't you a little young for the suds?" he said in a rough voice.

"We're not here for drinks." Will said, leaning on the bar. "We're here for information."

"Look," Knor said. "I don't know who you are, or where your parents are, but coming into a place like this asking for information can get you in trouble."

"These birds looking for information? 'Cause they found trouble." came a voice from behind. The girls turned around to see the largest, strongest man they had ever seen approaching them. He made Vathek look like Elyon.

"Now, Arst," Knor said, talking the large man. "I don't want any trouble in here."

"Yeah, we are looking for knowledge." Will said, unafraid of the brute. "Which is obviously something you can't provide. Now why don't you take a seat? I know walking and talking at the same time can be difficult for you."

"Will!" Hay Lin hissed. "Let's not make this guy angry, okay?"

"I'd hate to waste my fists on someone so small, so I'll give you one more chance." Arst said. "Run home to mommy before someone gets hurt."

A split-second later, Arst found himself soaring through the air, and crashing the back wall of the bar. He eventually landed outside, where he lay, groaning.

Will stood with outstretched arms. Her hands were still crackling with electricity from the blast she had just shot. She walked over and inspected the Arst shaped hole in the wall she had created.

"Too late." She said, looking down at the unconscious man.

"Now, who's feeling talkative?"

A flurry of hands shot up from all around the bar.

"Will, why don't you let me handle this?" Taranee said, stopping her friend.

"Why? I'm doing fine…"

Will examined the look on Taranee's face, and then surveyed the room. The rest of the patrons were cowering behind tables a look of fear on their face.

"Yeah, uh, all right yeah. I'm, wow, I'm really sorry everybody. I'm, I'm not usually like this. I've uh, just been having a bad day. Sorry."

Will retreated into the corner of the bar, apologizing to everyone in sight. Taranee turned to Knor.

"Now then, we're looking for the maker of this dagger, and something capable of shooting it 150 yards through the air." She said, pulling out the weapon.

Knor took the dagger from Taranee's hands and examined it closely.

"Hmmmm. Oh yes, this is an excellent weapon. How much did you pay for it?"

"We didn't." Cornelia said. "We found it in someone's back. We want to know who put it there."

"Yeah, you don't exactly look like the type of people who need daggers." Knor said, eyeing Will.

"Can you help us or not?" Irma asked.

Knor paused for a second.

"There are only three people who can make a dagger of this quality, and a device to shoot it." Knor said. "There's Quincy. She's very good. Or it could be Swog. He's also good. Or Bradam. It could be Bradam. Here, let me write down some directions."

"Is that it?" Hay Lin asked as Knor wrote.

"Sorry, that's the best I can do." Knor said, handing Taranee a piece of paper. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like the five of you out of here before you decide I need some more windows."

"Once again, really sorry." Will said as the Guardians left the bar.

They stood outside, analyzing the directions they had been given.

"Three names. Quincy, Swog and Bradam. It has to be one of them." Hay Lin said.

"Agreed." Will said. "We'll go after Quincy first, then Swog, then Bradam."

The Girls looked at each other.

"Will, are you sure you're okay with this?" Hay Lin asked.

"Yeah, you seem a little stressed." Irma added.

"I'm fine." Will said. She smiled.

"Really, I'm fine. I just needed to vent some anger back there. I'm sure he was okay."

"Well, whoever it is who made this dagger, I hope they know someone who's good at fixing walls."

"Ha Ha. Very funny." Will said. "Now let's get to work."

Balsilide

15 Years Ago

Endarno strides boldly into Walson's room.

"Walson! We need to talk." he says.

Walson is an older gentleman, with greying hair and wrinkled features. He wares thick, circular glasses. Despite his age, he is still tall, and physically fit. His room is a perfect combination of luxury and practicality. Books filled shelves line the walls, while golden drapes cover the windows.

"Can it wait?" Walson asks. "I'm in the middle of something and…"

"It's about the Heesam case." Endarno says, interrupting. "We're going about it the wrong way."

Walson slowly takes off his glasses and stands up.

"We've already gone over this, Endarno." he says with a sigh.

"I don't care. I'm convinced that I am right." Endarno replies.

"Endarno…"

"Your idea, you strategy, it's not aggressive enough. You'll never convince the jury that he's innocent."

"But we can lessen his sentence."

"Not good enough. We have to win."

"Endarno, listen to me!" Walson said, raising his voice. "You can't always win! Now I appreciate your energy, but in this case, you're wrong. You're just wrong."

Walson takes a deep breath.

"Look, Endarno, you're young, you're inexperienced. You don't realize what we're up against with this case. There's no way to win. You're just going have to rely on me for this one."

Endarno frowns. He has never had to rely on anyone to do anything for him, and he wasn't about to start now. He knows he can win this case. He just has to win it on his own. And he's used to being on his own.


	13. Street Smart

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 12

Street Smart

Balsilide

15 Years Ago

Endarno paces his room, getting more and more angry. He has failed in many attempts to convince his partner, Walson, to change his strategy in their upcoming case. Endarno can tell that Walson is being too conservative, but he cannot convince his partner of this. He knows they would be better off using his plan of action. He knows that they would win.

He shakes his head. He had lost too much already by relying and trusting others, and he isn't about to lose this case as well. But the trail is set for tomorrow, and he still has no idea on how to stop their inevitable failure.

He slumped back onto one of his chairs and sighed. He had tried everything he could think of. Perhaps he needs to be more aggressive.

"Uh, excuse me, are you Mr. Endarno?" came a voice.

A young man stood in the doorway, peering in hesitantly.

"Yes." Endarno said, getting up. "What can I do for you?"

"Um, it's about tomorrow's trial." The young man said. "I've been sent to tell you that the time of the trail has changed."

The young man pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Endarno. The new trial schedule was written upon it. The trial was now earlier in the day then it had been previously.

"An earlier trial get cancelled?" Endarno asked, reading the paper.

"Yes, sir."

It was not uncommon for this to happen. There had been many times when a cancelled trial had changed the schedule for the rest of the day. It was rare, however, for them to receive such late notice about it.

"I've been looking for Mr. Walson, but I couldn't find him." The young man said.

"No, he's out." Endarno said absentmindedly. Suddenly, he jerked his head up and looked at the young man.

"Wait, so Walson doesn't know about this?"

"Um, no. No he doesn't." the young man said. "You are his partner, right, sir?"

"Yes."

"Oh, good. You'll be sure to tell him, won't you, sir?"

"Of course." Endarno said smiling. "I'll be sure."

He continues to smile as he waves goodbye to the young man. He then throws the paper into the nearest trash bin and begins to plan.

Balsilide

"This is so cool!" Hay Lin squeeled. "We're like real detectives!"

The five Guardians were approaching the building where the arms maker Quincy worked.

"What do you mean, 'like' real detectives. We are real detectives!" Irma responded. "Now shhhh! You'll blow our cover."

"What cover?"

"There's a cover. Now shhhh."

"Both of you shhhh!" Will said. "Come on, let's go."

Will knocked sharply on the door three times.

A middle-aged woman soon appeared at the door. She had long red hair that was tied back in a ponytail. Her clothes were stained with oil and grease, but the girls could tell that they were at one time quite beautiful. She wore a stern expression on her face.

"Yes? Can I help you?" She asked.

"You Quincy?" Hay Lin asked in a gruff voice.

"Yes. Who are you?" Quincy asked squinting at Hay Lin.

"We'll ask the questions around here!" Irma replied, stepping past Quincy and into the building.

"Are you girls lawmen?" Quincy asked.

"Do we look like lawmen?" Irma asked.

"No, you look like five girls pretending to be lawmen." Quincy said, arms crossed.

Will sighed.

"We just want to know if you made this dagger." Will said, handing Quincy the weapon.

"And what if I don't feel like talking?"

Taranee's hands burst into flames.

"I see."

Quincy took the dagger from Will, and inspected the dagger for a couple of seconds. The girls waited impatiently while Quincy looked at every aspect of the weapon. After a few minutes, Quincly snorted with laughter, then glared at Will.

"Is this a joke?" she said.

"Far from it." Will said. "Now did you make it or not?"

"I'm insulted you'd even ask." Quincy said. "This is a poorly made dagger at best."

"It is?" Cornelia asked, taking the dagger from Quincy.

"Yes, it is." Quincy said, glaring at Cornelia, "It's well below my standards of quality. Observe."

Quincy walked over to her workbench and picked up a dagger similar to the one Cornelia now held in her hands.

"This," she said, holding out the dagger, "is a work of art, that could have only been made by a master craftswoman such as myself."

She caught Will's doubtful look, sighed and continued.

"The blade is made of a special alloy that is both strong, durable and lightweight. The tip has been finely tapered to allow easy penetration and extraction. The handle has been…"

"Save the sales pitch." Will said. "Irma, Cornelia, Hay Lin, take a look around, see what else you can find."

Quincy looked offended, and then reluctantly showed the three girls around her workstation. Will motioned for Taranee to follow her, and the two of them separated themselves from the others.

"Taranee, what do you think?" Will whispered to her friend.

"I think she's nuts."

"Besides that."

"Oh. I don't think she made it."

"How come?"

"If it was really hers, she'd tell us. She wouldn't be able to let anyone else take credit for her work. She has too much of an ego."

"Yeah I think you're right." Will said, eyeing Quincy, who was now modeling her dagger for Irma.

"Alright girls, let's go." Taranee said as the girls shuffled out. "Sorry to waste your time, Mrs. Quincy."

"Miss Quincy, actually, and feel free to come back when you need a real weapon." Quincy said. She then slammed the door as soon as the girls had left.

"Alright," Will said. "One down, two to go."

Meridian

Caleb stared out at the world from one of the Castle's towers. He surveyed the city below and sighed. He used to walk those streets. He used to know every store on every corner. Now, he spent most of his time in the castle. Now, his head was filled with land claims and city guidelines. He knew he shouldn't complain. After all, things were a lot better now then they used to be.

"Caleb?"

Caleb turned to find his father, Julian, walking towards him. Julian leaned against the wall and stared out as well.

"Something on your mind son?" Julian asked.

"Not really." Caleb said with a shrug. "Just easier to think up here."

"I've seen that look before." Julian said. "Your restless. You want to be out there fighting, with the Guardians. You're feeling useless."

Caleb laughed.

"I'm not feeling useless, I am useless! I've been useless ever since the Guardians showed up. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. The Guardians are the best thing that ever happened to us. I'm just trying to figure out if I should be here,"

He swept his arm over the city in front of him.

"Or out there."

"You're a rebel, Caleb." Julian said after a slight pause. "Always have been, always will be."

Caleb smiled.

"Of course, being a rebel doesn't mean you can't live in a castle, does it? 'Cause I got to say, getting the royal dinner every day sure beats rebel rations."

"Yeah, I guess it does." Julian said with a laugh.

The two of them stood and watched the city move below them.

"So how come you're out here?" Caleb asked. "Looking for me."

"Yes." Julian said. "Because of this."

He pulled out a letter with Caleb's name on it and handed it to his son.

"It just came. I haven't read it yet." Julian said.

Caleb opened up the letter. It read:

Caleb-

This political nonsense is for cowards.

Let us settle this like warriors.

The ruins of Mora. Sundown.

-Balken

Caleb folded up the letter

"The R.E.G. expect us to fight?" Julian asked peering over Caleb's shoulder at the letter.

"Yep."

"Caleb, they're the best in the universe."

"Yep."

"Our smartest move is to wait for the Guardians to find the real killer."

"Yep."

Julian stared at his son.

"You're going to fight them aren't you?"

"Yep."

Julian sighed.

"I'll round up the others."

Caleb smiled as his father left. He took another look at the city below him. He was going to be out there once more. Sword in hand and city at his feet. He was a rebel, always had been, and always would be. He smiled, drew his sword, and then headed out, into the city.


	14. Ignorance and Innocence

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 13

Ignorance and Innocence

Balsilide

15 Years Ago

Endarno exits his room smiling. Minutes before, he had received notice that the time of the trial had been changed. Already, a plan is forming in his mind to ensure that he is allowed to enact his plan, and not Walson at the trial. As he opens the door, he nearly runs into his partner.

"Ah, Endarno." Walson says. "Who was that young man that I saw leaving the office?"

"Oh, him. He's nobody. Why? You didn't talk to him, did you?" Endarno says.

"No, I didn't get a chance to. Why do you ask?" Walson says suspiciously.

"No reason. He was nobody, really. He was just delivering a letter to me from my, uh, cousin! Yes, my cousin. My cousin, Rimgar! Yeah, that's it." Endarno says.

"Huh. Okay." Walson says.

Endarno smiles. He was quite proud of himself for making up a story like that so quickly.

"By the way, I still haven't changed my decision." Walson adds. "We will still be using my strategy in the case tomorrow. I know you want to be more aggressive, but I cannot allow you to put our case in jeopardy."

"If that's the way you feel, I have no choice but to respect your decision." Endaro says.

"I glad to hear you say that." Walson says.

Endarno turns to leave, but stops when he hears Walson's voice.

"By the way, what did Rimgar say?"

"Who?"

"Rimgar? Your cousin?"

"Oh, right! Him. Um, he's fine. Poor guy is just starting school right now, but he's doing alright."

"That's good to hear. Tell him I said hi."

"I will. Now if you don't mind, I have a lot of important work to do, and I'd appreciate it if I wasn't disturbed."

"Of course. Good day, Endarno."

"Good day, Walson."

Endarno sighs as soon as he was out of earshot. That was close. Now all he had to do was avoid Walson for the rest of the day and he was home free. He wouldn't let anyone get in the way of him winning this case.

Balsilide

"Alright, door number two."

Will knocked three times on the large wooden door. The sign above the door read SWOG: MANUFACTURER AND BLACKSMITH in large brass letters. Swog was the second of three names on their list of people who could have made the dagger.

An older gentleman soon answered the door. He peered over thick, round-rimmed spectacles perched on a large, pointed nose to get a better look at the Guardians.

"Yes?" he said.

"Are you Swog?" Will asked.

"At your service. Please, come in."

Swog opened the door and invited the girls inside. He walked with a hunched back and used a cane to support himself.

The girls entered his workshop and found it similar to Quincy's. The walls were lined with a wide assortment of tools and weapons. Unlike Quincy's, this workshop was gentler and homelier. The girls felt surprisingly welcome in it.

"Now, what can I do for you? Would you like something to drink?" Swog asked, opening his fridge.

"Sure!" Irma said.

"Um, I'm afraid we're not here for drinks." Cornelia said, elbowing Irma in the ribs. "We're trying to find who made this dagger."

Will presented Swog with the dagger. Swog handed Irma her drink and took the dagger from Will.

"Well, I'll certainly help if I can." He said.

"Really?" Hay Lin said.

"Yeah, you sure we don't have 'persuade' you, or any thing like that?" Will added.

"Of course not! Why would you have to do that?" Swog asked.

"Well, this dagger was used to kill a diplomat." Taranee replied.

Swog smiled.

"I'm not a fool, miss." Swog said, "I make weapons and I know what they're used for. But be assured, I am a legitimate businessman. I have all the permits necessary to make and sell weapons. I cannot be held responsible for what my weapons are used for after I sell them."

"Really? That seems like a dumb system." Hay Lin said.

"Prehaps." Swog replied with a laugh. "Either way, it is a moot point. I did not make this weapon."

"Oh." Will said, taking the dagger back. "Well, we're sorry for wasting your time."

"Wait!" Swog said, forcing the girls to stop on their way to the door. "While I didn't make this weapon, I know who did."

"Who?"

"This is a Bradams' weapon." Swog said.

"Are you sure?" Cornelia asked.

"Positive. I'd bet my entire warehouse on it." Swog replied.

"How can you tell?" Taranee said.

"As I said before," Swog began, "we weapon dealers know what our weapons are used for, and we deliberately make them as inconspicuous as possible. But we are also a prideful bunch, and we always make sure we have some way to tell our weapons apart. You see, the handle of the dagger you hold in your hand is made of Fysher wood. It's a darker wood, and it looks nicer then any other. Only Bradam uses it. It's his signature. Look around the room if you want, you'll see the difference."

Will did, and found that no other dagger in the room had a handle the same as the one she held.

"Why does only Bradam use it?" Irma asked. "If it looks so nice, why don't you all use it?"

"It's heavier and not as strong as most other woods." Swog said. "I prefer function over form myself, and therefore use a lighter, stronger wood."

"I guess we can take your word." Will said, heading for the door.

"I glad to hear that." Swog said. "Good luck!"

"What a nice old man!" Irma said after they had left. "I wonder if he's hiring."

Cornelia rolled her eyes.

"Looking for a job?" Taranee asked.

"I need Karmilla tickets." Irma said, stressing the word 'need'. "But my parents won't give them to me unless I get a job."

"I can get my parents to buy me an extra ticket for you." Cornelia offered.

"Thanks Cornelia, but I got to do this my way." Irma said.

"Um, can we focus?" Will said, snapping her fingers in front of Irma's face. "We just got strike two."

"But at least we know who did make the dagger." Hay Lin said.

"If Swog was telling the truth." Cornelia added.

"I'm sure he was." Hay Lin said.

"Yeah?" Will said, beginning to walk down the road "let's go find out."

Meridian

The Honor Guard looked down on the abandoned city.

Mora had once been the capitol city of Meridian, hundreds of years ago and well before the castle in which Elyon now lived had been built. After the construction of the castle, the villagers of Mora had relocated to Meridian, which was now the capitol. Mora had been abandoned and was now in ruins. Semi-destroyed houses lined remnants of streets, and the nearby forest had crept in, giving the old city an unearthly and spooky feel.

The ruins were visible from the projected site of the portal that would span Meridian and Balsilide, and was the perfect spot for a showdown between the best of both worlds. Located over an hour away from the castle, Caleb had never been to Mora, and therefore had no advantage over the R.E.G.

The Honor Guard strolled down what had once been Main Street. There was no one in sight.

"Maybe they chickened out?" Vathek said.

"They don't seem the type." Raythor said.

"Yes, because you're a great judge of character." Vathek responded.

"Hey, you're the reason we're here, not me!"

"Don't start you two! Stay focused!" Caleb said.

The two shot each other one last glare, then returned to scanning the buildings.

"What if it's a diversion?" Julian said. "What if they just want to get us away from the castle?"

"I don't think so." Caleb said. "For two reasons. First of all, Aldarn and the military are much better prepared to hold off an invasion then the seven of us. Plus, as far as they know, we could get the Guardians at any time. Face it, we're pretty useless in the grand scheme of things. Getting rid of us would just waste time."

"And the second reason?" Julian asked.

"Him."

Caleb pointed down the street where a solitary man, dressed in the R.E.G. uniform, stood in the center of the street. The Honor Guard all drew their swords, and slowly walked towards the man. As they got closer, they could tell see it was Balken, the R.E.G.'s leader.

"Caleb, I surprised." Balken said, as the Honor Guard got closer. "I didn't you could do anything without the Guardians to hold your hand."

"There's a lot you don't know about me." Caleb replied.

"I know this…" Balken said. He snapped his fingers and all six other members of the R.E.G. appeared from behind buildings, completely surrounding the Honor Guard.

"You're out of your league."

"That the best you got?" Caleb said, not taking his eyes of Balken.

"It's enough."

"Let's find out."

Caleb lunged at Balken, who sidestepped the attack and tried to counter with an elbow. Caleb saw it coming and mover out of range. He could see the rest of the Honor Guard begin to pick their targets and engage the R.E.G.. The battle was on.

Balken attacked with his sword, but Caleb easily blocked it. He blocked several more hits before going on the offensive. Balken was more then up to the task. Both men were testing each other, trying to find their opponents weakness. Neither man found any.

Balken backed Caleb up into a narrow ally. He jumped from wall to wall and delivered a flying kick. Caleb ducked at the last second and threw an uppercut of his own. Balken dodged the punch and brought his sword back into play. The two men clashed swords, with Caleb slowly managing to back Balken out of the ally.

Balken threw a punch that Caleb was able to dodge, sending Balken off-balance. Caleb grabbed Balken, and threw him against a wall. Balken was ready for this and managed to kick Caleb away and regroup.

Balken delivered a flurry of blows that Caleb barely managed to block. Balken threw a left hook that missed, but connected with the backhand. Caleb reeled, and was unable to fully get out of range of the Balken's sword. Balken sliced through Caleb's shirt, and drew a thin line of red across Caleb's chest. First blood to Balsilide. Caleb managed to drive Balken back into the wall, giving both men a chance to catch their breath.

"Finished already?" Balken said.

"Are you kidding?" Caleb replied. "I'm just getting started!"

**Author's Note  
**

****Hello, everybody. Hate to interrupt, but I've got some bad news. Due to circumstances out of my control (A.K.A School), I will be unable to update this story for two weeks, starting on August 20th. I know, I know, I hate it too, but I've got no choice. I'm going to put out one more issue on the 19th, but that will be the last until September. After that, it should be back to normal. For those of you reading my other story, powers, I'm going to try to have that story finished before I go so that it won't be affected. Once again, sorry, and thanks for reading.

- HeartofMeridian


	15. Independance Day

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 14

Independence Day

Balsilide

15 Years Ago

Walson sits in his favorite chair, and reads his favorite book. He checks his watch and smiles. Still almost an hour until the trial starts, plenty of time to finish this chapter.

It had been his tradition for a couple years now to read a book right before going to work. It helps him relax, and concentrate. And there was nothing like a good story to put someone in a good mood.

CLANG

Walson frowns as he is forced back to reality at the sound of his mailbox closing. He rushes to the door and catches the young deliveryman on the way down the driveway.

"Hello there, boy!" Endarno shouts at the young man.

The young man jumps with shock, and then turns around. Once he sees Walson, he calms his heart and waves.

"Are you all right?" Walson asks.

"Yes, sir, yes I'm fine." the young man says. "I just didn't expect you to be here."

"Why not? I do live here." Walson replies.

"Yes, that's true sir, but I thought you'd be at the courtroom." The young man says. "Say, why aren't you at the courtroom? The trial started a couple hours ago."

"What?" Walson says. "You must be mad. The trial doesn't start for another hour."

"No that's the old starting time." The young man says. "Oh, dear, didn't anyone tell you? They changed the time of the trial. It's been moved up to an earlier time. I told you're partner. Oh, I knew I should have stayed."

"I've, I've been in the house the last few days, working. The only person I've talked to is, my partner…?"

Walson looks shocked at this information. Then, as he starts to piece together what had happened, his shock turns to anger.

"Endarno."

Walson sprints down the driveway and towards the courtroom.

Balsilide

For the third time today, Will knocked on a large wooden door three times.

The girls could hear the sound of movement inside. After a few seconds, the door opened to reveal a middle-aged man, with a large stomach and slicked back black hair.

"Bradam's weaponry, Bradam speaking, how may I help you today?" The man said, unenthusiastically.

"We're looking for the maker of this weapon." Will said, handing the dagger to the man.

"And since we've spent all day talking to people who haven't made it, we'd really appreciate it if you said you did." Irma said.

"Yeah, it's one of mine." Bradam said after a brief look at the weapon. "Sold it a couple days ago. One of my finer works, if I do say so myself."

"Well, that's a relief." Will said.

"Do you realize that this dagger was used to kill a Balsilidian diplomat?" Hay Lin said accusingly.

"So?" Replied Bradam. "I don't use them, I just sell them. You want to see my permits?"

"So you just think that once you've sold it, you don't have to worry about who it kills?" Cornelia said.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I think, 'cause that's what the law says. I ain't responsible."

Will rolled her eyes and brushed past Bradam to get a better look inside.

"Can you tell us who did buy it?" she asked.

"Nope." Bradam said. "Sorry but it's bad for business if I go giving up my customers. I'm sure you understand."

"Oh sure, we understand." Will said. "Cornelia, why don't you show him just how much we understand?"

Cornelia focused and soon, eight stone bars came down from the ceiling, trapping the storeowner. Bradam swore under his breath.

"Magic. I hate Magic."

"So, feeling a bit more talkative, or do you want to test your luck with fire?" Taranee asked.

"Alright, alright, I'll talk." Bradam said. "Guy named Jovi. He bought it about a week ago. Do you have any idea how much this is going to cost me?"

"Did he buy anything else?" Cornelia asked.

"Uh, yeah, yeah. He bought one of my new dagger shooters. Real useful those things. Powerful too."

"Got any left?" Irma asked.

"Sure, but I not telling you where."

"Irma?"

Irma stared at Bradam.

_Tell us where they are, tell us where they are!_

"Third drawer on the left." Bradam said.

As soon as he had said it, he shook his head and stared at Irma.

"Man, I really hate magic. Aw, c'mon, those things are expensive!"

Hay Lin looked in the drawer and, sure enough, found the desired object.

"Got it!" Hay Lin said, waving it over her head.

"Hey, hey! Be careful with that!" Bradam said from inside his cage.

"Now, where can we find this Jovi person?" Will asked.

Bradam started to protest, then sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Hand me a piece of paper." he said dejectedly

Bradam jotted down instructions to where Jovi could be found. Will took the paper from him and headed for the door, along with the rest of the girls.

"Hey, aren't you gonna let me out of here?" Bradam said.

"Of course not. At least not right away." Cornelia said over her shoulder. "We'll be back. After we figure out whether your information is good or not."

As the Guardians left, Bradam sighed and sat down in his cage.

"I really, really hate magic."

Meridian

The Honor Guard and the R.E.G. scattered.

Grath, the strongest member of the R.E.G., charged Vathek. The attack caught Vathek by surprise, which allowed Grath to drive Vathek through a nearby wall.

"Quickly, I have him pinned! Attack!" Grath called to his Balsilidian teammates, while trying to keep Vathek on the ground at the same time.

Laris began to run towards the pair, but was tackled by Raythor.

"We got your back, big guy. Try not to screw this one up." Raythor said, drawing his sword and attacking Laris.

Vathek shifted his weight and kicked Grath over his head. Grath quickly got to his feet and the two men squared off.

There was no strategy to this fight. There was no defending, no blocking, and no fancy footwork. This was a straight out brawl. The two strongest men in their respective worlds holding nothing back. Vathek met every punch Grath landed with an equally strong counter-attack. If Vathek landed a hit, Grath would respond with one of his own. Slowly, the bigger, stronger Grath started to wear down Vathek's defense, and began to gain an advantage.

The fight went on like this for a couple minutes until both combatants separated to catch their breath. They had found their way into an old house, once used when Mora had been Meridian's capital city. Vathek was breathing much harder then Grath, and it was clear he couldn't last much longer. Outside, the sounds of battle could be heard.

"Do you hear that?" Grath said, sweeping his hand to the door. "This is because of you. Your team is fighting because of you."

"You don't understand how a team works." Vathek said. "Real teammates fight for one another, no matter what the cost."

Grath growled and threw a punch that missed Vathek's head my inches and created a large hole in the wall behind.

"You might as well give up." Grath said. "I'm faster, tougher and stronger then you'll ever be."

Another punch, another hole in another wall.

"Perhaps." Vathek said. "But I'm smarter."

"What makes you say that?" Grath said.

He swung again at Vathek, and again missed. This time, the force of the punch caused the wall behind Vathek to collapse completely.

"Well for one thing, you know that wall you just destroyed?" Vathek said. "That was a load-bearing wall."

Vathek quickly stepped out of the house.

"The last load-bearing wall, to be precise."

Grath looked up at the century old ceiling above him. The roof began to shake as the house fell in upon him. Vathek shielded his eyes from the dust created by the buildings destruction. When he was once again able to look, he saw nothing but a pile of rubble. He started clearing away the debris until he heard a groan. Grath was at the bottom of the pile, bloodied and beaten. Vathek checked for a pulse and smiled. Grath was alive, but he wasn't going to be fighting anytime soon. Vathek cracked his knuckles and headed out in search of another battle.

While Vathek and Grath clashed, Tynar and Drake had separated Hoth and Troth from the others and were about to fight. Tynar and Drake, close friends ever since the fall of Phobos, were best suited to handle the brother pairing of Hoth and Troth.

Tynar was first to strike, charging at Hoth and swinging his axe. Hoth blocked the attacked and countered with a strike of his own. Troth charged at Drake with his sword, but Drake blocked the attack with his daggers.

Tynar continued to test Hoth's defenses, and Hoth continued to be up to the task. Getting more and more frustrated, Tynar's strikes became more and more powerful. It was clear that eventually he was going to get through.

Troth was evenly matched with Drake, and sensed that his brother was in trouble. He slowly started to steer his duel with Drake towards Tynar. As the two battles came side by side, Troth switched targets and went after Tynar, while Hoth attacked Drake.

Such co-ordination by the brothers, forged by a lifetime of fighting experience, could not be matched by Tynar and Drake. One of Tynar's attacks was stronger then Tynar expected, and he stumbled forward, off balance. Troth hit him with a strong uppercut that sent Tynar to the ground, unconscious.

Seeing he was in trouble, Drake went on the offensive. Grabbing Hoth by the shoulders, Drake flipped himself over Hoth, and brought his legs down hard on Troth. Troth hit the ground hard. Drake steadied himself. He tried to catch Hoth off-guard with a backhand, but Hoth was ready. He blocked Drake's strike, and, grabbing Drake by the neck slammed him to the ground.

Hoth surveyed Drake and Tynar's unconscious bodies and sighed. They had fought well, and did not deserve to die like this, on the ground and defenseless. Besides, they had more important matters to attend to. He walked over to where his brother lay and tried to rouse him. After a few seconds, Troth woke up and got to his feet.

"Oh, what happened?" Troth said, holding his head.

"We won." Hoth said.

"Well, of course we won." Troth said. "But how?"

"I'll tell you later." Hoth said. "For now, we need to keep fighting."

The brothers picked up their weapons, ran away from the defeated Meridianites, and towards the sounds of battle.

Balsilide

15 Years Ago

Walson bursts through the courtroom doors. His clothes are disheveled and his hair is uncombed. He runs to the room where the trial is scheduled to be held just in time to see Endarno leaving. Reporters and lawyers are surrounding Endarno, shaking his hand and asking him questions.

"Enarno, can you talk us through the strategy that won you this case?" One of the reporters asks.

Walson's jaw drops.

"Won the case?" He mutters to himself. "But how?"

"I knew from the start what needed to be done in order to win." Endarno tells the reporter. "I always have. I just trusted myself,"

He turns to Walson.

"And I didn't let anyone get in my way."

The reporters spot Walson looking dumbstruck and rush to his side. Within seconds, he is bombarded by questions.

"Walson, where were you?"

"Why weren't you at the trial?"

"Did you know your partner could win it on his own?"

Walson bristles as his face goes red.

"My 'partner', or should I say, ex-partner, neglected to tell me of the change in schedule. He is the reason I was not at the trial!"

The reporters' turn to Endarno

"Ridiculous, of course." Endarno says calmly. "Why would I not want my partner, excuse me, ex-partner, present at the most important trial of my career? It is a shame that Walson couldn't make it, but fortunately, I didn't need him."

"Endarno's partner, Walson, is upstaged, and pathetically attempts to blame Endarno for failure to show." One of the reporters says, writing as he talks.

Endarno heads out of the courthouse as Walson continues to argue his point. He is feeling rather good about himself. Once again, someone he once trusted had the chance to crush his dreams. This time however, he learned from his mistakes, and took matters into his own hands. For the first time in his entire life, he felt free. He had no one to care for, no one to rely on, and no one to slow him down. Nothing could stop him now.

**Author's Note****  
**

****Just a friendly reminder that this will be the last story for a couple of weeks. See you then!

-Heart of Meridian


	16. Action

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 15

Action

Balsilide

8 Years Ago

Endarno scribbles a few sentences on a sheet of paper, and then scratches them out. He curses and pulls at his hair.

It has been seven years since he had last seen his ex-partner, Walson, and seven years since he has started his own law firm. The only name on his door now was Endarno's, and that was the way he liked it.

Lately, however, he has not liked the direction Balsilide has been headed. The politicians of the world have fallen prey to corruption and it was showing. Poverty rates were higher then they had been in years, and unemployment was on the rise. Endarno knew he could do better, if he only had the chance. And so it was he found himself writing a campaign speech. He was running for mayor in the fall. As an independent candidate, the odds were against him, which was exactly the way he liked it. In his mind, Endarno was already in office. Perhaps the only thing standing in his way is this speech. He's used to trying to convince large groups of people to think the same way he did, he does it everyday as a lawyer, but today he was having trouble thinking.

Deciding that the writer's block has got the best of him, he throws his latest attempt into the garbage bin. He is on his way to the kitchen to get a drink when he hears a knock on the door. Unaccustomed to visitors, he answers it.

He opens the door and is startled when an older gentleman falls into his arms, struggling to breathe.

"Endarno, you must listen!" The man says weakly.

Endarno rushes him to a chair and gets him a glass of water, which he drinks readily. While the man drinks, Endarno takes the opportunity to get a better look at him. This strange man is older then anyone Endarno has ever seen, but it is not just from age. His face is weathered and beaten, a witness to countless struggles. The man's shirt is tattered and ripped, revealing scars running down the length of his chest. Despite his obvious weakness, it is clear that this was once a man of strength, and one to be feared. Now however, only a shadow remains of who he once was.

"Who are you? What must you tell me?" Endarno askes, kneeling beside the man.

"My name is Ezerial," the man says. He pulls out a small, glowing jewel.

"And this is the Heart of Balsilide."

Meridian

Walli surveys the nearby scene. Members of the Honor Guard and the R.E.G. fight all around him. Grath had just driven Vathek through a wall. Tynar and Drake are in a mad fight with Hoth and Troth.

Walli calmly pulls out an arrow and begins to inspect the metal tip. To anyone else, it would seem as if he was checking for defects. Instead, he is looking at himself in the reflection, or more accurately what's behind him. He sees the figure of a man pull back his arm, and…

Walli ducks, and an arrow sails through the air above him, just barely missing his head. Walli notches the arrow he had used for a mirror and spins to find Slyn, the R.E.G's loud, blonde archer behind him, bow in hand.

"Come on, bowman, show me what you've got!" Slyn yelled from atop a half broken wall.

Slyn aimed and fired several arrows at Walli. Walli ducked behind a tree just as the arrows hit the earth. He fired a couple arrows back at Slyn, which flew high, but did manage to get Slyn down from his perch. Slyn landed deftly on his feet and strafed right while launching another volley of arrows. Walli was forced to abandon his position behind his tree, and dove for cover behind a broken wall. He peaked out to find that Slyn had also taken cover.

"Man, they'll let anyone in the Honor Guard won't they?" Slyn said, firing another arrow. "The two ex-criminals are bad enough, but you? You're even worse! I mean, who are you?"

Walli said nothing and continued to return fire. He leaped over the wall behind him. Slyn gave chase.

"I'm not just good looks, I've got brains too, and I did my research." Slyn said, ducking behind a wall. "You're a nobody. You didn't even fight in the rebellion. You just hid in your village. So how far down the list did they have to go before they got to you? You're out of your league, boy!"

Walli slid behind a wall and fired another arrow. They were getting into what was once the middle of town. The spaces between walls were getting narrower and narrower, providing lots of cover for the two archers. Walli couldn't see Slyn, but he could hear him.

"What's the matter, chuckles?" Slyn said, peeking around a corner. "How come you're so quiet? You do talk, don't you?"

Slyn caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. He spun, but found nothing in the dark alley.

"I think I know why you're so quiet." Slyn continued. "You figure if you don't say anything, and if you stay out of everyone's way, they won't notice that you don't belong, and you won't be kicked out of the one place where you can feel you're actually important. Is that it? Are you sacred you're going to be sent back? Are you scared you're going to go back to being a nobody?"

"Slyn,"

Slyn spun when he heard Walli's voice behind him. He was too late.

"Shut up."

Walli leapt from the shadows and fired two arrows at Slyn. Slyn had no time to react and the arrows hit their mark. Both arrows pierced Slyn coat and pinned him to the wall behind him. Slyn struggled, but was unable to move.

Walli hit the defenseless Slyn with a powerful right hook, knocking him unconscious, but still supported by the two arrows.

Walli took the arrows from Slyn's quiver and added them to his own. Then he headed off, back into battle.

Balsilide

Will eyed the map suspiciously. Bradam's instructions had led them to a small old house in the Balsilidian slums. Will looked at Taranee, who only shrugged. Will sighed, and knocked on the door.

No answer.

"Maybe he's not home?" Hay Lin said.

"Not home? He has to be home!" Will said. "I haven't blown off my mom's party just so this moron can not be home!"

"Maybe he's gone shopping." Cornelia said. "Or he's visiting his parents. Or he's on a date."

"Or maybe he's running away from us as fast as he can." Irma said, pointing down the street at a fleeing figure.

"Yeah, that too."

Jovi's incredible knowledge of the area was no match when compared to Hay Lin's speed in the skies. Within minutes, Jovi had been apprehended by the air Guardian, and returned to the rest of the team.

"What do you want, Guardians?" Jovi said with disdain.

"Aw, he's heard of us. Isn't that sweet?" Irma said as Cornelia created a stone cage around him.

"Are you Jovi?" Will asked.

"Maybe."

"Irma?"

Irma concentrated and Jovi entered a dream like trance.

"Now, let's try this again. Is your name Jovi?" Will asked.

"Yes." Jovi answered.

"Did you buy these two weapons?" Taranee asked, holding up the dagger and the dagger shooter.

"Yes."

"And did you use these weapons to murder a Balsilidian diplomat?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Cornelia asked.

"Because I was hired to." Jovi replied.

"Who hired you?"

"The Hurlex Company."

"Hurlex? Never heard of them." Irma said.

"Or course not. They're probably Balsilidian." Taranee replied.

"I don't care if they're Martian." Will said. "He admitted to the murder, and that's good enough for me. Let him go Irma."

Irma released her hold on Jovi's mind. Jovi stumbled backwards and shook his head.

"Hey, you made me say that!" He said, after he had recovered. "That's illegal."

"Yeah, we've never been much on legalness." Irma said.

"Legality."

"What?"

"Never mind."

"Alright." Will said. "Let's get back to Meridian. I know some people who are going to be very happy to meet this guy."

With Jovi in custody, Will opened a fold and headed back to Meridian.

Meridian

Julian dove for cover. He had been separated from the rest of the fight, and now was trying to avoid being deep-fried by Grimm.

Grimm was the only member in the fight with magical abilities. He was an older gentleman, Julian's elder by at least ten years, and his greying hair showed it. He wore a long, black and red robe, with ancient symbols inscribed down the back. On his wrists were two, glowing gauntlets. He aimed, and a white blast of energy hit beside Julian, forcing him to abandon his cover.

Although he had not been told the source of Grimm's powers, Julian could tell that it was funneled through his gauntlets.

"Don't suppose we can talk this out." Grimm said.

"Are you scared?" Julian replied.

"Of you? Don't be ridiculous." Grimm said. "But if I had the choice, I'd prefer not to beat you senseless. Personally, I find this whole fighting nonsense barbaric."

"Sorry, never been good with words."

Julian leapt out at Grimm, sword in hand. Grimm was ready for it, and sent Julian flying backwards with a single blast. Julian managed to scramble back to safety before the second blast hit.

"Very well, it always does seem to come to this in the end." Grimm said, firing another blast into the ground beside Julian. Julian could tell by the size of the crater beside him that he wasn't going to win this fight head on. But if he could just get those gauntlets…

Julian ran from behind cover and headed for an old building. He managed to dodge all of Grimm's attempted blasts, and made it to safety. It was one of the most stable buildings in Mora, and due to the trees that had grown around it, also one of the darkest.

Grimm followed behind Julian into the dark room. Grimm could neither see nor hear Julian, but he knew he was there. He used his gauntlets to create a light, but it was two late. Julian leapt from behind and grabbed Grimm's gauntlets.

At Julian's touch, the gauntlets produced a strong electric charge that shot through Julian, sending the ex-rebel to the ground.

"Did you really expect my greatest weapon to be without defenses?" Grimm said.

It was the last thing Julian heard before he let go of consciousness.

Balsilide

8 Years Ago

Endarno sits across from Ezerial and stares at the jewel he holds up. Ezerial smiles.

"Pretty neat, huh?" He says, his strength returning. "I've had it for 50 years and I still catch myself staring at it."

Enadrno quickly looks away from the crystal and stares back at the man.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." He says. "What is the Heart of Balsilide?"

"Figures." Ezerial says with a sigh. "In Meridian, having a Heart means you're royalty. Here? Nothing."

"I'm sorry, Meridian? Is that another city?" Endarno asks.

Ezerial laughs.

"You've got a lot to learn, kid. But I don't have a lot of time to teach, so listen up."

Endarno frowns at the older man's demanding tone.

"The Heart of Balsilide is one of many Hearts across the universe. Most of these Hearts are the magical representation of their worlds. Some represent even more then that, but lets not worry about that for now." Ezerial continues.

"This is all fascinating, but what does it have to do with me?" Endarno asks.

"Now, most people think of these Hearts as nothing more then a pretty jewel. A weapon, or at best, an instrument." Ezerial says, ignoring Endarno's question. "But they're wrong. The Heart is alive! It's sentinent! And yesterday, she did something she had never did before."

"What?"

"It screamed."

The impact of this statement is lost on Endarno.

"Why did it do that?"

"Because it saw something." Ezerial says. "Something that's going to happen. The future."

"What? What did it see? What's going to happen?" Endarno askes.

"Picture the worst thing you can possibly imagine."

"O.K."

"It's ten times worse then that."

Endarno thought about this for second.

"How do you know this?" he asks

"Because when the Heart screams, I listen." Ezerial says. "And I saw every excruciating detail. I saw the end of the universe pass before my eyes. And while it was doing this, one word was being repeated over and over again."

"What was the word?" Endarno askes.

"Endarno. She kept saying Endarno."

"Me? It said me? Why? I barely even understand what you're talking about!"

"I don't know. But I trust her, so here I am." Ezerial says.

"Can you show me what you saw?" Endarno askes.

"Yes, but…"

"But what?"

"No magic is free." Ezerial says. "There is a price you must pay, and it is this. This must be your burden. Only you may know what it shows you. If you tell any one what you see, while you live, then then the knowledge will be lost forever, and any chance of saving everything will be lost along with it. Are you willing to pay the price?"

"I am." Endarno said, without hesitation.

"Good boy. Buckle up."

Ezerial drops the Heart into Endarno's hand.

"What do I OH!"

A flood of images race through Endarno's mind. His mind is filled with death and pain. He barely manages to focus enough to understand the horrible future he is being shown. He feels only one emotion. Determination. He must stop this from happening, and only he can do it. Throughout the entire experience, one word is repeated. It's a word he's never heard before. The images fade and he is left with only a memory of what will be.

"What, what was that?" Endarno says, once he regains his bearings.

Ezerial cannot answer. He is lying on the floor, struggling to breathe.

"Ezerial! What happened to you?" Endarno says, dropping to the floor behind him.

"All magic has a price. Yours is silence, this is mine." Ezerial says slowly. "I'm not as young as I used to be. Showing you those images took the last of my energies. Did you understand what was being said?"

"I believe so." Endarno said. "But there was a word being repeated, one that I didn't understand."

"That's your first move, kiddo. Don't worry, you'll figure out what it means eventually. It's up to you now. Good luck. See you on the other side."

Those are the last words Ezerial will ever say. As he watches Ezerial die, Endarno notices the Heart of Balsilide being enveloped in a blinding light. When the light disappears, the Heart is gone.

Endarno stands up, confused. He does not know what to do. He doesn't know where to start. He doesn't know how to prevent the horrible future from coming to pass. All he knows is that he will. No matter what it takes, he will not let that future happen. He repeats to himself the one word he heard over and over again. That is his first step. If only he knew what it meant. He says it one more time out loud, just to hear what it sounds like when he says it.

"Kandrakar."

That is his first move.


	17. Equal and Opposite Reaction

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 16

Equal and Opposite Reaction

Balsilide

5 Years Ago

Endarno sits at his desk and remembers. He remembers the words of Ezerial, and the warning he gave. He remembers what he saw when he touched the Heart of Balsilide. He remembers the terrible events that will come to pass, and he remembers that it is up to him alone to stop it.

Much has changed in the three years since that event. He is much older now, and, he felt, wiser. He now holds a position of political power on Balsilide's high council. He has done much to help the people of Balsilide, despite much opposition. He does not have the backing of any political party, but does not need it. He is his own man, as he always has been.

As he stares at the papers on his desk, his thoughts are carried once more into the past. He remembers the one word that was repeated to him throughout his contact with the Heart, the one word that has driven him these past years.

Kandrakar.

He did not know what that word meant when he had heard it three years ago. Since then, however, he has been doing research. It is this research that is now spread upon his desk. He has learned that Kandrakar is a fabled city and the center of infinity. Some people, most people, believe the city to be a myth. Nothing more then an old fairy tale used to put children to sleep. Were it not for Endarno's experience three years ago, he would have felt the same way.

There were others, though, ones who spoke Kandrakar's role when they toppled the dictator Ari hundreds of years ago. For a while, he was puzzled by what he had learned about Kandrakar. Those who lived there seemed kind, caring, people. How could they be connected to the predicted disaster? Were they the cause, or the victims? Things did not become clear until he learned about the Guardians. Kandrakar's soldiers, the Guardians were five magical beings, often girls, who controlled the elements. After he had learned this, Kandrakar's role became clear.

A flash of light behind him interrupts his thoughts. He turns to see a small, pointy-eared man standing in his room, staring at him.

"Are you Endarno?" the man askes.

Endarno quickly recovers from his initial shock. After all he had seen and done, it took a lot more then this to rattle him.

"Yes." he says. "Who are you?"

"My name is Minnio." the small man says. "I am from the fortress of Kandrakar."

Endarno smiles. He has been planning on this. He had quickly realized that getting to Karndrakar was well out of his means, but there had been rumors of those that had been accepted as elders of Kandrakar. Becoming a member of Kandrakar would give him unlimited access to the fortress, and put him in a perfect position to stop what was going to happen. He had done his best to raise as much attention to himself as possible, striving to be the perfect elder candidate. In his role on the council, he tried to do what he thought Kandrakar was looking for. He had been as generous and as caring as he could in an effort to get Kandrakar to notice him. It appeared to have worked.

"Minnio has been watching you closely." Minnio says. "You have been an excellent leader on Balsilide. The things you have accomplished are quite impressive, especially considering your lack of outside support."

Endarno grits his teeth. People always thought his independence was a handicap, something he's had to overcome. They never realized what a strength it was.

"Thank you for saying so." Endarno says.

"Minnio has also noticed your interest in the fortress." Minnio says. "You've been asking a lot about Kandrakar, have you not?"

"This is true." Endarno says. "My accomplishes pale in comparison to that of Kandrakars'. I wanted to find out as much as I can about the fortress so I can strive to be more like their elders."

"And what if Minnio told you that you could become and elder?" Minnio says.

"It has been my life dream." Endarno lies.

"Then Minnio brings good news." Minnio says with a smile. "Your dream has come true."

Meridian

Raythor watched as Grath drove Vathek through a wall.

"Quickly, I have him pinned! Attack!" Grath called to his Balsilidian teammates, while trying to keep Vathek on the ground at the same time.

Laris began to run towards the pair, but Raythor tackled her.

"We got your back, big guy. Try not to screw this one up." Raythor said, drawing his sword and attacking Laris.

Laris was the lone female on the R.E.G., but was clearly faster and stronger then Raythor. She wore a featureless mask that was quite successful at freaking out the average criminal, but Raythor was not going to be that easily intimidated.

Laris charged but Raythor managed to side step and deliver a blow to Laris back.

"You would attack a woman?" Laris asked through her mask.

"Do you have any idea how many times I've beaten by girls?" Raythor said. "I'm starting to think your whole gender is out to get me."

Laris said nothing. She brought out her sword and once again attacked. Raythor parried, but was surprised at the strength of the attack. He feared he had under estimated his opponent. He spent the next few minutes retreating from the Balsilidian warrior.

"I see you're the strong silent type." He said, dodging another attack.

Laris continued to silently attack.

"You know, this may be tough to imagine, but normally I'm the quiet one." Raythor said.

Laris kept attacking and Raythor kept dodging.

"I'm sure if we got to know each other, we'd be best of friends." Raythor said. "Really."

Laris swung hard and missed Raythor by mere inches.

"Murderer." She growed.

Laris attacked with a flurry of strikes with her sword, but Raythor blocked them all.

"True." Raythor admitted, "But slightly irrelevant. You know, you've got a lot to learn about first dates.

Laris continued to attack, but her strikes were getting sloppy.

"I should introduce you to this guy I know." Raythor said. "His name's Frost. I think you'd like him. See, he's bigger and stronger then me, just like you are, but I always knew how to defeat him."

Laris backed up and started to growl. Raythor could tell she was getting angry.

"What I would do," he continued, "is I would get him so annoyed that he would end up hurting himself, instead of me."

Laris charged at Raythor, who calmly stepped to one side, revealing the stone wall behind him. Laris crashed into the wall.

"Yeah, like that."

Raythor had deliberately positioned himself in front of a building that had once been used as a storm shelter. The stone walls were three feet thick and nearly unbreakable. Laris, not noticing this, had hit the wall head first at top speed. She remained standing for a few seconds, before falling to the ground unconscious.

Raythor looked down at his vanquished foe. He smiled. One down…

Far away from this battle, Caleb was being thrown to the ground. The thrower, R.E.G. leader Balken, stood over him, smiling.

"Don't you ever get tired of this?" Balken said.

Caleb swept Balken's leg and the Balsilidian hit the ground. Caleb quickly got back to his feet.

"Tired of what?" he asked.

Balken stood up and attacked with his sword. Caleb blocked, and countered with a strike of his own.

"Tired of being outmanned, outmatched and outmaneuvered." Balked said, avoiding Caleb's attack. "The Guardians aren't here, and you're all on your own."

"Your point?" Caleb asked.

The two warriors struck at each other, their colliding swords creating sparks in the air. Both men were shaken after the impact of their weapons, but Caleb managed to recover faster and lunged at Balken. Balken moved at the last second. He was fast enough to save his life, but not enough to dodge the attack completely. The tip of Caleb's sword nicked Balken's arm. Balken held it, grimacing in pain. Caleb kept on the offensive with a swing of his sword. Balken ducked it and delivered a roundhouse kick that sent Caleb flying backwards.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot." Balken said. "You're the brave rebel hero. You're the defender of Meridian. You're the boy who managed to fight Phobos all on his own. Except history forgot one thing, didn't it?"

"What?" Caleb said, catching his breath.

"You we're losing." Balken said. "And you knew it. It was only a matter of time before Phobos crushed you like bugs. And it was your fault. You were the chosen one. You were the rebel leader, but you were failing. Meridian was falling."

Caleb roared and attacked. Balken easily blocked.

"Until the Guardians showed up. Five girls, younger then you, and with no battle experience. Yet, they managed to do what you couldn't. They defeated Phobos! And in under a year too! They saved Meridian. Not you."

Another attack from Caleb. Balken easily dodged it and shoved Caleb away.

"But you got another chance." Balken continued. "Elyon liked you. You were made head of Meridian's military. You we're in charge of making sure nothing ever happened to Elyon. And you know what?"

Caleb charged Balken, who stopped Caleb and grabbed him by the neck.

"You failed."

Balken threw Caleb to the ground for the second time that day.

"Twice, actually" Balken said, dusting himself off. "Nerissa, your own mother, managed to steal Elyon's power's in a couple weeks. And once the Guardians had saved her? You let it happen again. This time to Dee."

Caleb stood up, furious, but did not attack.

"And now this? You so called Honor Guard?" Balken said. "What a joke! Nothing more then one last attempt to prove yourself a hero. Well guess what, Caleb. Without the Guardians, you're nothing! You're a failure!"

Balken laughed.

"And it's only a matter of time until you fail your girlfriend." Balken said. "Perhaps I should show Cornelia what a real man is like!"

Caleb took a deep breath, and dropped his sword. He once again charged at Balken, unarmed this time. Balken swung his sword, but Caleb was too fast and ducked underneath it. He then caught the unsuspecting Balken with a powerful punch.

POW

Caleb grabbed the dazed Balken by the collar.

"You can insult Meridian." Caleb said. "You can insult my team. You can even insult me, and I can take it. But you!"

POW

"Do not!"

POW

"Insult!"

POW

"Cornelia!"

POW

Caleb sent Balken flying with a final uppercut. To Caleb's surprise, Balken quickly got to his feet after landing.

"Looks like I hit a nerve." Balken said, wiping the blood from his face. "Compensating for something?"

Caleb clenched his fists, ready to attack again, but was interrupted by a bolt of lighting from the sky.

"ENOUGH!"

Kandrakar

3 Months Ago

Endarno walks through the halls of Kandrakar, stroking his beard. He had let it grown in a few weeks ago, and is quite pleased with how it feels on his face.

A lot had happened over the last few years. He had not had much time to adjust to life on Kandrakar. He had to admit; there were times when missed Balsilide, but Kandrakar was stunning. He remained focus to his mission, however, and had used recent events to his favor as only he could.

He had managed to use his experience as a politician and as a lawyer to make himself prominent during Phobos's defeat. He had spoken well enough to gain quite a few followers, including Minnio, while learning a lot about how the fortress operated. His name was now quite well known in the Kandrakar, especially considering his lack of experience.

His real breakthrough came after Nerissa's attack on Kandrakar. He had played enough of a role in Kandrakar's protection to get him noticed by his fellow elders, but not enough to put him in any harm. The fact that it was an ex-guardian that attacked also boded well for him.

By the time the Oracle had made his questionable decision regarding Zamballa, Endarno had become the most popular elder in Kandrakar. His new and unique ideas were regarded by many as the breath of fresh air the fortress needed. And with the fortress now on lockdown, he needed only one more slip-up from the Oracle to put the final phase of his plan into action.

Endarno's thoughts are interrupted by a spike of intense psychic pain. He grabs at his head until the pain recedes.

"Minnio!" He calls to his nearby elder. "What happened?"

Minnio, also recovering from the intense pain, staggers over to Endarno.

"Is Endarno alright?" Minnio asks. "Can Minnio help?"

"I'm fine." Endarno says. "But what…?"

"There is only one thing that could cause such discomfort." Tibor says, coming over to join the group. "Someone has broken the seal of lockdown, and made contact with the outside universe."

"But who would… The Oracle." Endarno says.

"I'm afraid that is the only logical option." Tibor says.

"But if he broke lockdown…" Endarno begins.

"Yes." Tibor says. "There is only one option left to the council."

Endarno does his best to hide a smile. This is exactly the opportunity he was waiting for.

"Judgement."


	18. Short Fuse

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 17

Short Fuse

Meridian

"ENOUGH!"

Caleb and Balken stopped their battle as Elyon's voice rang through the sky. They looked up to see the Guardians flying towards them. Balsilide's military leader, Wilder, as well as Elyon were with them, supported by a flying stone platform created by Cornelia.

"Balken! What are you doing?" Wilder said as the group touched down.

"What do you mean?" Balken said.

"The Meridianites are our allies." Wilder said, fearlessly striding up to the big warrior, "Why are you attacking them? Why did you provoke them into a meaningless fight?"

"We are determining Vathek's fate like the warriors we are." Balken replied. "As we were taught."

"You were never taught to create an interplanetary incident!" Wilder shouted back. "You are acting like a fool, Balken!"

Caleb smiled as his Balsilidian rival was chewed out. His smile quickly faded when he saw Elyon looking his way.

"And you, Caleb!" Elyon said. "What were you thinking? Balken issues a challenge and you just go along with it? Of all the stupid, immature things…"

"Well," Will whispered as Elyon continued to berate Caleb, "remind me not to make Elyon mad."

"That's just great." Cornelia said, crossing her arms, "My best friend is going to kill my boyfriend. That's just what I need."

"We had to defend Vathek." Caleb said. "We had to protect him."

"So you take him into battle against the people who are trying to kill him?" Elyon yelled. "Are you insane? I don't even…"

Elyon took a deep breathed, calmed her self, and faced Wilder.

"I apologize for any damage Meridian has caused today, and hope we can make up for it in the future." She said.

"Apology accepted, but unnecessary." Wilder replied. "This is Balsilide's fault if anyone's. Rest assured that the appropriate punishment will be given to those responsible for this fight."

"Oh, you can count on it." Elyon said, glaring at Caleb.

Caleb was about to attempt to defend himself when he noticed something.

"Wait a second, the Guardians are here?" He said. "Then that means our plan worked!"

Elyon gave Caleb a looked that would have melted steel. Cornelia just sighed. Caleb quickly realized what he had done.

"Oops. Uh, I mean, what plan? We didn't have any plan."

"Well, you're having quite the day, aren't you Caleb?" Elyon said. "First you pick a schoolyard fight, now you go and tell Balsilide…"

"Nothing we didn't already know." Wilder said. "We are not ignorant of the relationship between the Guardians and Meridian. When we found it was the Guardians who had proved Vathek's innocence, there was no doubt of who sent them."

"Wait, Vathek's innocent? But…" Balken said, shocked.

"Silence!" Wilder said. "Vathek is innocent. A mercenary named Jovi was responsible for the murder. He has confessed."

Wilder sighed.

"And for now, that's all that matters." Wilder continued reluctantly. "Which means that for now, I thank the Guardians for their service. For now."

"Um, you're welcome." Will said, both relieved at Wilder's gratitude, and terrified of her.

"Now," Wilder said, turning back to Balken, "gather your team and prepare to head back to Balsilide. And hurry up. We have much to discuss."

Balken mumbled a 'yes ma'am', and then went off in search of his team.

"Caleb," Elyon began

"I'm going, I'm going." Caleb said, hurrying off to gather up his team.

Elyon took a deep breath and turned to the Guardians.

"Good job, girls." She said. "And thanks. I owe you."

"We'll just put it on your tab." Irma said.

"Don't worry about it." Cornelia said, elbowing Irma. "Just do me a favor, Elyon. Go easy on Caleb. He's the only boyfriend I've got."

"This week." Elyon replied with a smile. "And no guarantees."

They said goodbye, Will opened a fold, and the Guardians headed back to Earth.

Heatherfield

Ten minutes after the girls had arrived back on Earth, Hay Lin found herself in the biggest clothing store in the city, following Irma from rack to rack. It was nearly 9:00, but Irma had found one store that was still open.

"Irma, what am I doing here?" Hay Lin said. "I want to sleep."

"You're helping me pick out new clothes." Irma said. "I would have gone earlier, but someone big and blue had to get framed for murder and mess up my plans."

"And what exactly is stopping me from turning invisible and walking home?" Hay Lin said.

"Remember that time you forgot your calculator for your math test, and I let you borrow mine?" Irma said.

"Yeah." Hay Lin said.

"Well, this is you paying me back." Irma said.

"What?" Hay Lin shouted, causing a few customers to glance her direction, "That was five years ago!"

"A favor's a favor."

"I was ten!"

"Nevertheless." Irma said. "You still owed me."

"Fine. Just one more question." Hay Lin said, holding up Irma's latest choice. "Why are we looking for suits?"

"Because," Irma said, snatching back the outfit. "I need a job. And to get a job I need to look professional."

Hay Lin stared at her friend.

"Just so you know, this favor is worth, like, fifteen calculators. Now you owe me."

"Duly noted." Irma said, taking her picks into the changing room. "Now sit there and tell me I look good."

Hay Lin laughed.

"O.K., now it's twenty calculators."

"Quiet you." Irma said from beyond the wall.

After a few minutes, Irma reemerged in her first outfit.

"Well?"

Hay Lin said nothing.

"Well?"

"Hold on, I'm trying not to laugh." Hay Lin said.

Irma rolled her eyes and went back into the changing room.

"You think you're so special just 'cause your grandma gets to be Oracle." She said.

"Don't bet on it." Hay Lin said. "She's got some pretty stiff competition."

"You mean what's-his-name? Embargo, or Embryo, or whatever. He's a pushover." Irma said, stepping out of the change room. "What do you think? Business casual?"

"More like business ridiculous." Hay Lin said. "And his name's Endarno. You should take him more seriously. Grandma says he's the smartest person in Kandrakar. Not to mention he scares me."

"Aw, come on, it's Kandrakar." Irma said. "The only scary person they've got is that weird cat lady that protects the aurameres. Luka, or Lisa. How about this one?"

"Too blue. And it's Luba." Hay Lin said. "You mark my words, we haven't seen the last of Endarno."

"Whatever." Irma said. "I know what I have seen the last of today though. Myself in the mirror. Besides, the store closes in 5 minutes. I'm getting this one and going. You've got money, right?"

Hay Lin stared at Irma.

"Kidding, kidding." Irma said.

"Good."

"Mostly."

"Irma…"

Will's House

Will very quietly opened the door. She then very quietly crept through the house, very quietly got a glass of water, and very quietly began walking to her room. He plan was to sneak past her mother, and go to bed without having to explain where she had gone.

"Hello Will."

Will froze at the sound of her mom's voice. Susan Vandom was sitting in the dining room, arms crossed. In front of her were two empty plates, and one that still contained a complete, if not cold, dinner.

"Well, so much for that plan." Will mumbled to herself.

"Will, where were you?" Susan asked.

"Um, I had to do something, um, really important. You know, fate of the world stuff." Will said, hiding the truth behind a joke.

Will told herself that she wasn't lying. She told herself that it was fate of the world stuff, just not this world. Her conscience wasn't buying her own story, and based on the look on her Susan's face, neither was her mom.

"Didn't you have a nice evening with Dean?" Will added quickly.

"I did." Susan said, looking at the two empty plates. "But that's not the point. I wanted to have a nice evening with you, my daughter."

"Trust me, I wanted that too." Will said.

"Then why didn't it happen?" Susan said. "Why did you leave?"

Will felt her stomach clench.

"I, I can't." she stammered. "I wish I could but I can't. You just have to trust that, that I know what I'm doing."

Susan looked at her daughter. Will couldn't bear to look her mother in the eye, and studied the floor instead. Mother and daughter stayed like that for what seemed to Will like hours.

"You know what would have been a really nice birthday present?" Susan said finally. "My daughter back."

Susan stood up and walked out of the room, leaving Will standing alone in the dark. Will slowly headed to her room. She crawled into bed, pulled the covers up and turned her radio on, hoping for her favorite song. She stayed like this for minutes, slowly allowing sleep to take her away.

She tried to turn her mind off completely. She didn't want to think about the stress, the hassle or the sacrifices of the day. Safe within her room, she could pretend she was a normal girl with normal problems.

Her illusion was shattered by a blinding light overhead. When her eyes had adjusted to the glare, she was able to make out the source of the light as a giant, floating head, a head that she quickly recognized.

"Minnio." She said, lying back down. "What do you want?"

"Excuse me?" Minnio said. "That is no way to greet a messenger of Kandrakar!"

Will sat up.

"You pop into my room, at this time of night, probably about to force me to do something I don't want to do, and you're giving me an etiquette lesson?" She snapped.

Minnio looked shocked for a moment.

"Minnio is sorry, Will." Minnio said. "If there was any way Minnio could have done this without inconveniencing Will, Minnio would have."

Will was taken aback. There was genuine shame in Minnio's voice, as well as compassion. He had never shown the Guardians any respect before, and yet he was now truly concerned that he had bothered Will.

"Minnio also regrets what he must say next." Minnio continued. "The Guardians must report to Kandrakar immediately."

Will sighed and flopped back into her bed.

"Of course we must." She said. "What else is new?"

"Minnio is sorry,"

"So you've said."

Will sat up again.

"Can you at least tell me why Kandrakar needs us this time?"

"Of course." Minnio said. "A new Oracle has been chosen and the Guardians presence is required."

With that, Minnio's head disappeared from Will's room as quickly as it came, leaving Will with only the knowledge that she wouldn't be getting any sleep any time soon.


	19. Meet the New Boss

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 18

Meet the New Boss

Heatherfield

Taranee sat at he desk, a small lamp lighting up multiple sheets of paper. She never had been able to go to sleep after a mission, and tonight was no exception.

After the Guardians had turned Jovi over to the Balsilidian authorities, Taranee had remained to hear his confession while the rest of the girls went back to Earth. It had bothered her that Jovi would be hired to kill Jantique for seemingly no reason. What was the motive?

She flipped through the page of notes that she had written on Jovi's confession. Despite her exhaustion, and the amount of work that she still felt she needed to do tonight, she smiled. Spread out in front of her was pure knowledge, and her brain was ready to soak it up like a sponge. She had to admit though; there were many other things she would rather be learning about. There was still so much on Earth she didn't know about, let alone other worlds. As a Guardian, however, it was doubtful she would have any time for Earth problems.

She shook her head and focused on the job at hand. Jovi's confession. Much of it was the same as what he had said under Irma's influence. He had been hired by the Hurlex Company to kill Jantique.

Taranee looked at the other sheets that were scattered across her desk. Taranee had requested and received information on Hurlex to try to better understand their motive. She smiled again. She was beginning to understand.

The Hurlex Company was owned by a much larger corporation call Sybarium. Sybarium was one the richest and most powerful businesses on Balsilide. Hurlex was just one of many small companies that they owned.

Hurlex itself was in the business of mining. They extracted many ores, such as Iron and Copper, as well as a very rare mineral called Revell. While not found on Earth, Revell was found on Meridian, where it was known as Threbite. Threbite was quite common on Meridian, and was used as a source of light in the mines.

Hurlex had sole rights to all the Revell on Balsilide, but if the mineral were found on Meridian, anyone with a shovel would have had equal access to it. If the portal had opened between the two worlds, rival companies would have had access to Threbite and would be able to start buying and using the mineral. Hurlex was willing to overlook the vast quantities of Threbite on Meridian in order to keep their monopoly. They had hoped that if a Balsilidian diplomat died on Meridian soil, the talks would have broken down, and Hurlex could continue to be the sole owner of Revell.

Taranee frowned. Something still didn't make sense. According to their records, neither Hurlex nor Sybarium made any product that used Revell. In fact, they didn't sell it at all, so why were they so interested in…

Taranee's thoughts were interrupted by her ringing phone, which she quickly answered.

"Hey, Will. What's up?"

"Kandrakar. Now." Will said.

"Now? But we just…" Taranee began.

"Trust me, not my idea." Will said. "But Kandrakar's got a new Oracle, and we've got to go meet him."

"Alright, alright. I'll be there in a sec." Taranee said.

She hung up the phone and sighed. Now what?

Meridian

Elyon paced back and forth across her room. Her room was slightly fancier then the one she had lived in on Earth. Silk curtains hung from the walls, while fine carpets covered the floor. Her bed was a testament to excess, with silk drapes covering the four sides, and a large, highly decorated headrest behind the two softest pillows in all of Meridian. It was a room fit for a Queen.

To be honest, Elyon had never quite gotten comfortable with the luxury in her room. She was more used to posters of rock stars and stuffed animals then fine art and fabrics she had never heard of. Not that she was complaining, mind you. The room was beautiful, but it just didn't seem like hers.

At this moment however, she didn't care about the beauty of the room. She was too mad. The source of her anger, Caleb, sat in front of her, squirming uncomfortably in a cold, wooden chair.

"What were you thinking?" she finally shouted, turning on Caleb.

"Vathek was in trouble and we protected him. No one got hurt. I really don't see what the big deal is."

This, as it turns out, was the wrong thing to say.

"You don't see what the big deal is?" Elyon shouted, her face turning red. "Do you have any idea what could have happened today? What if someone on the Honor Guard had of killed one of the R.E.G.? What if they had of killed one of you? We're talking interplanetary war here, Caleb! All because of what, someone challenged you to a fight? What are you, a schoolboy? Just ignore him, take the higher road!"

"I just don't see why I should be getting in trouble." Caleb said, trying to defend himself. "After all, we're the good guys."

"No, Caleb, not anymore!"

Elyon took a deep breath and sat on the end of her bed.

"Look, Caleb, you're not just my best warrior, you're one of my best friends, and I know you mean well, but you're not in the rebellion anymore. You're not fighting some evil tyrant; you're fighting governments and politicians. There are no good guys and bad guys. You can't just attack anyone you want and expect everyone to understand. This is a different game now."

Elyon motioned for Caleb to sit beside her.

"I hate to say it," Caleb said, "But this was way less complicated when it was your brother."

"I know." Elyon said with a smile. "But you represent something bigger then a rebellion now. You represent this world, this city, and you represent me."

Caleb looked like a child who had just been caught doing something wrong.

"You're right." He said. "I made a mistake. It won't happen again. Forgive me?"

"Of course." Elyon replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a lot of paper work to do because of you."

Caleb got up and was headed for the door when Elyon stopped him.

"Hey Caleb," She said, "Remember that talk we had a couple days ago? The one about you relaxing and having more fun? What ever happened to that?"

Caleb faced her with a grin.

"Elyon, that fight was the most fun I've had in years! You should have seen us!"

He started to laugh as he headed down the hallway. Elyon could do nothing but shake her head. She had learned and experienced a lot since coming to Meridian, but one thing was for sure. She would never understand Caleb.

Kandrakar

Halinor once again waited at the gates of Kandrakar as a blue fold appeared. When the girls had been summoned for Himerish's judgment, she had been there as well. The group of girls that exited the fold this time, however, looked nothing like the ones that had come through only a few days ago. Then, the team had been well rested and ready for action. Now, the Guardians were disheveled, unenthusiastic and exhausted.

"Guardians, welcome to…" Halinor began until Will cut her short.

"Skip it. The faster we get this over with, the faster I get reacquainted with my bed, so let's not waste time on the front steps."

The girls sauntered past Halinor and headed into the fortress.

Halinor knew she should be angry at the Guardians lack of respect, but she wasn't. She had been a Guardian once too, and she knew the sacrifices it entailed. She hoped that the decision made today would change that.

The Guardians entered the council room and took their seats silently. Hay Lin did a quick scan of the room and found both Yan Lin and Yan Lin's altermere sitting across from her. Her heart sank as she realized that it was unlikely that Yan Lin had become Oracle if she was sitting with the rest of the elders.

Will's glare could have melted steel and was aimed directly at Minnio, who hurried to the platform to begin the ceremony.

"Thank you all for being here." Minnio began. "As Minnio is sure you all know, Kandrakar has chosen its newest Oracle! And it is Minnio's honor to present him to you!"

Hay Lin's sighed. Him. That definitely ruled out her grandma.

"Without further delay, please welcome the new Oracle of Kandrakar. Endarno!"

From the doorway of the council room entered Endarno. He was met with a standing ovation from the elders of Kandrakar. The Guardians were less enthusiastic.

Endarno was dressed in a beautiful red and black flowing robe. Will noticed that the mark of Kandrakar had now appeared upon his forehead, but he was otherwise unchanged physically. He step onto the top of the platform and shook Minnio's hand.

The next hour was filled with rituals and ceremonies designed to confirm Endarno's role as Oracle. Irma tried unsuccessfully to stifle several yawns during the process, but Endarno seemed unbothered by the interruptions. While Will was slowly getting more and more frustrated with the length of the procedure, she had to admit the Endarno appeared to be doing everything he could to speed up the process. Eventually, he donned the traditional robes of the Oracle and stood alone in the center of the council room, where he was once again treated with roaring applause. It was clear that he had won the position by a landslide.

"Thank you." he said. "And thank you, especially, Guardians. I know it must be tough to be here given your busy day, but I do appreciate it."

Will simply nodded, unsure what to make of Endarno's concern. After all, she was not used to the Oracle having any concern over their well-being.

"It is also very important you are here, for I am about to make my first official order as Oracle, and it will be your next mission."

Will got to her feet to protest, but Endarno stopped her.

"Now hear me out. I know that you are tired, so you will not have to complete this mission tonight, or even tomorrow. I simply would like to let you know what it is ahead of time, so you can prepare accordingly."

"Oh." Will said, sitting down. "Well, uh, thank you. That's very considerate of you."

She meant it. If they had a couple days notice before going on a mission, they could make sure that they didn't miss anything important when they were gone, like their mother's birthdays.

"I'm glad you appreciate it." Endarno said with a smile. "Now, to business. There is a distant world with a solitary ruler. This person is in charge of every aspect of her world, from financial and political to the military. She controls everything."

"Let me guess. Another evil tyrant that you want us to take care of?" Irma said.

"Not quite." Endarno replied. "Her morality is not the issue, it's her age. She is less then sixteen years old. It is not right for anyone to have that much power, let alone someone so young."

"Makes sense to me." Will said, eager to get out of their.

"A kid?" Irma said. "Who has a kid for a ruler? And who lets them have that much power?"

"I'm glad you feel that way." Endarno said.

"So we should introduce ourselves to her, and remove her from power?" Taranee said.

"Oh, you won't have to introduce yourselves," Endarno said, "you already know this person quite well. You see, your first mission is the immediate and total removal of Queen Elyon from the Meridian throne."


	20. Rock, Hard Place

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 19

Rock, Hard Place

Kandrakar

The Guardians stared at Endarno, dumbstruck. Will had hundreds of questions she wanted to ask Endarno. Why do you think Elyon is a bad leader? Why do you want us to remove her from power? Are you insane? Of all of these questions, only one actually made it out of her mouth.

"What?"

"Your mission is to promptly and completely remove Queen Elyon from the Meridian throne." Endarno repeated slowly.

"But why?" Irma blurted.

"We've already gone over this, Guardian." Endarno said, slowly losing his patience. "You all agreed that a ruler as young as Elyon should not be allowed to rule at such a young age. Therefore, it is necessary that she be removed from power."

Will couldn't think of any way to respond to this. Endarno had played it perfectly. He had made sure that they agreed to his logic before telling them whom it was he was talking about.

"But Elyon's been a great leader." Hay Lin said. "Meridian's been peaceful under her rule."

"Has it?" Endarno said, with just a hint of smugness. "Since Elyon has come into power she has been captured twice, depowered and Meridian has been attacked countless times. Hardly great, and hardly peaceful. I am not the villain here, girls. I am merely doing what I think is best."

Hay Lin slumped back into her seat.

"What if we refuse?" Cornelia asked.

"Simple. You will be stripped of your powers and we will find new Guardians. Not an ideal solution, but one that has been previously suggested by other elders."

Will thought this over for a minute.

"Endarno," she began

"Oracle."

"Oracle. We are very tired, and this is not an easy decision for us. Will you allow us to think it over?"

"What? Will, you can't be…"

"Of course." Endarno said, interrupting Cornelia's protest. "As long as Elyon is out of power within the week, I don't really care when or how you do it. Just make sure it gets done."

Heatherfield

The Girls exited the fold and stepped into the basement of the silver dragon. Cornelia turned on Will.

"Will, you can't possibly think that we're actually going to do that to Elyon."

"I'm not thinking anything right now, Cornelia. None of us are going to make any decision until we get some sleep." Will said.

"But…"

"No buts, Cornelia. Please."

Cornelia sighed, but said nothing. Will was right. They hadn't slept in almost 24 hours, and Cornelia was letting her emotions get the better of her. Still, Cornelia knew her opinion wouldn't change over night. Nothing was going to make her harm her best friend.

"Everybody get some rest and we'll talk about this in the morning, alright?" Will said.

The other Guardians mumbled their agreement and sauntered off to their respective beds. Since they had been summoned to Kandrakar in the middle of the night, and because it was still night, no one should have noticed they were gone. That means they had the luxury of teletransporting to their rooms. As soon as Will got to her room, she flopped onto her bed, falling asleep in seconds.

The next day was a Saturday, which meant that Will could sleep in. She was awoken by a knock on her door.

"Are you alive in there?" Came her mother's voice from the other side.

"Mpthkppth." Will replied.

"I'll take that as a yes. If you ever decide to come out of hibernation, there's food on the table. Three hours ago, it was breakfast. Now it's lunch."

Will yawned and stretched.

"Hey Steve, what time is it?" She asked her clock.

"Good morning, Will. Or should I say good afternoon. It's 12:14."

Will smiled. It was amazing how ten hours of sleep can make someone feel better. She heard a buzzing from the other side of the room. Someone had sent her a text.

"What's it say, Ed?" She asked her phone.

"Ahem." Ed said, clearing his throat. "It's from Cornelia. It says: just woke up. when r we meetin? Really, someone should teach her both grammar and spelling."

Any happiness Will had gained from her sleep disappeared instantly. Elyon. Either they remove her from power, or they lost theirs. There was no easy choice, and no easy way out. Will arranged to meet in an hour and, after a quick breakfast/lunch, found her self in the Silver Dragon's basement surrounded by her friends.

"Alright, let's take a look at our options." Will said, sitting down.

"Fine." Cornelia said, crossing her arms. "We can either tell Kandrakar to shove it, or we can tell Kandrakar to stuff it."

"And then they take away our powers. Is that what you want?" Irma said.

Nobody said anything.

"I said, is that what you want?"

"That's a… different question." Taranee said.

"And not really important right now." Hay Lin added.

"She's right." Will said. "If they replace us, the next group won't have any problems with getting rid of Elyon. And they won't be as nice about it as we would be."

"But after all we've done for Elyon, are we really just going to desert her now?"

"This isn't an invasion, Cornelia." Hay Lin said. "This is Kandrakar after all. They're not attacking, they probably just going to give her some training. It might be good for her."

"I don't believe this!" Cornelia said, standing up. "This is Elyon we're talking about! Elyon Brown! Our friend. And you just want to abandon her? Well I don't care what you do, I'm going to defend her."

"Calm down, Cornelia. Nobody's abandoning her. We're just weighing our options."

Cornelia huffed, but sat down. All eyes turned to Will.

"We'll follow you Will, whatever you decide, right Cornelia?" Irma said.

Cornelia sighed and rolled her eyes, but still nodded reluctantly.

"Yeah, I guess. We are a team, after all."

Will thought for a minute. Once again, it was up to her to make the tough choice. Once more the weight of responsibility was on her shoulder. She had led them well so far, but how long until she made the wrong decision? And what would it cost them?

"The way I see it, there's only one thing to do." She said. "We need to go to Meridian."

Meridian

Elyon lay on her bed, staring at the celling. Beside her bed sat her adopted parents, Alborn and Miriadel. Despite the fact that this meeting was technically business, Elyon was still grateful for any time she could spend with her mom and dad. Alborn and Miriadel's mission to raise and protect Elyon had come to an end with the defeat of Phobos two years ago. Elyon, however, had insisted they stay in the castle, and they had been working as unofficial mentors ever since. Between the attacks and royal duties that had made up her life in the past two years, Elyon had not had much time for either of her parents. Any time she did spend with them, like now, soothed her in a way nothing else could.

"Alright, run it by me one more time." Elyon said, dangling her legs of the side of the bed.

Alborn sighed, but continued anyways. This was the fourth time they had gone over the events of the last few days.

"There were no injuries during the Honor Guard R.E.G. fight,"

"A miracle." Elyon interrupted.

"And Wilder and the Balsilidian government said there were no hard feelings after the battle. They did request a two week recess before talks resume, however."

"Granted." Elyon said. "I feel like I need a two month vacation after yesterday."

"It will also give us time to pick your wedding dress." Alborn said with a mischievous smile.

"My what?" Elyon said, bolting upright.

"Your wedding dress." Alborn said calmly. "It's Meridian tradition that if two different regions make a peace contract, a member of each of the royal families must be wed. The same applies if it's two different planets. Don't worry, I hear some of the Balsilide princes are quite handsome."

"What?" Elyon shouted, her eyes wide with fear.

Alborn started to laugh.

"I'm just kidding." he said, wiping a tear from his eye. "You don't have to marry anyone. But you should have seen the look on her face."

Elyon threw a pillow at her dad and flopped back onto the bed.

"Honey! Be nice to her!" Miriadel said, jabbing her husband in the ribs.

"Ah, it's alright, mom. At least it isn't true." Elyon said.

"You know, there was a time where you would have jumped at the opportunity to go out with a royal prince." Miriadel said.

"That was when I was a kid, mom. I'm a queen now. I don't have time for childish romance."

"Isn't there anyone that you…?"

"Can't we have this talk some other time, Mom. I've got a lot more important things to worry about then dating."

"Of course honey."

Miriadel stared at her adopted daughter. A lot had changed during Elyon's two years on Meridian. She had become a mature, responsible young woman, able to take control of both the battlefield and the boardroom. But at the same time, any chance Elyon had at a normal childhood was slipping through her fingers. Miriadel's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Elyon said, sitting up again.

"Caleb." Came the reply. "And the girls are here too."

"Alright, send them in." Elyon said, straightening her dress.

"Actually, I think it would be best if you came out here."

Elyon shot a quick look at her parents, then headed for the door.

"Hey girls, what's going on?" Elyon said.

Right away she could tell this wasn't a social call. Not only were the Guardians standing in the long hallway leading to Elyon's room, but the entire Honor Guard stood there as well. And none of them looked happy.

"Well, tell her what you told me." Caleb said to the Guardians.

And Will did. She explained how the old Oracle, Himerish, had been kicked out of Kandrakar, and how Endrano had become the new Oracle. She told Elyon that Endarno's first mission for the Guardians was to remove her from Meridian's throne, and that if they didn't do it, they would no longer be Guardians.

"So either you remove me, or they remove you." Elyon said, after taking in this new information.

"Pretty much." Hay Lin said.

"I highly doubt Caleb would simply let you walk away with me." Elyon said.

"Oh, he's made that quite clear. Repeatedly." Irma said, glancing over at the Meridianite.

"Well, it sounds like you've a tough choice to make, girls." Elyon said.

"Actually, not that tough." Will said. She cleared her throat.

"We won't do it, Oracle!" She shouted at the ceiling. "We won't fight our friends! We make our own decisions, and it's about time Kandrakar figured that out! And if you want our powers, come and get them!"

Caleb knew that Kandrakar would respond quickly, and knew he should be preparing to protect his queen, but he couldn't help but smile.

"Never doubted for a minute." He said, putting his arm around Cornelia.

"Do you think they heard?" Raythor asked, looking up expectedly.

Suddenly, a bright purple fold appeared at the far end of the long hallway. Shortly after, another fold appeared at the other end, effectively trapping the group, allowing nowhere to escape. Out of each fold appeared two men, each one fully armored so that nothing was visible, and wielding large swords. They silently marched towards where Elyon was standing.

"I think they heard." Irma said.

"Alright, Irma, Hay Lin, you take the ones on the left. Taranee, you and I will take the ones on the right. Cornelia, you and the Honor Guard get Elyon out of here." Will said.

"Great plan Will, except for one thing."

"What's that?"

"That fact that we're humans, and not Guardians."

Will looked around. It was true. All five of the girls had reverted back into human form.

"Guardians Unite!" Will shouted, holding up the Heart, but it was no use. The Heart felt cold to the touch.

"You did say 'come and get them'." Hay Lin said. "Looks like they came and got them."

Will surveyed the situation. Kandrakar had taken away their powers, and four heavily armored soldiers were bearing down on them. Will could only think of one thing to say.

"Uh oh."


	21. Heartbreaker

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 20

Heartbreaker

Caleb took a look around. There were four heavily armored men moving towards them, and the Guardians had just lost their powers, maybe for good. Worse, the armored men were heading for Elyon, so they could take her back to Kandrakar and do who knows what with her. He had to admit, things looked bad.

"Girls, get out of here! Take Elyon with you." He said, pulling out his sword.

"How?" Irma replied. "We're kind of trapped, in case you hadn't noticed."

"Don't worry," Vathek said, "we can handle this. There's only four of them, how tough can they be?"

Very tough, as it turns out. Vathek charged, his mace out and spinning. The soldier Vathek attacked made no effort to block the strike, and Vathek connected with a heavy blow to the man's chest. The result was surprising in two ways. First, the armor made a hollow noise when hit, leading the group to assume that there was no one inside. Secondly, it's only reaction to being hit by the strongest member of the Honor Guard was to brush Vathek aside as if he was no more then a flea.

"They're empty?" Taranee asked.

"Looks like it." Julian replied. "Guess we don't have to worry about hurting anyone inside."

"I don't think that would have been an issue anyways." Irma said. "Did you see what that thing did to Vathek?"

"What do we do now?" Drake asked grimly.

Caleb drew his sword.

"Insurmountable odds, unstoppable enemies and the fate of the world at stake? Ah, just like old times."

The Honor Guard is more then just a team. They are the culmination of years of battle experience and training. Between the seven of them, they have mastered every form of combat, and faced every type of enemy. They are one of the most powerful fighting forces in the universe. They are Meridian's finest.

They never stood a chance.

Although none of the Honor Guard or the Guardians knew it at the time, the armored warriors were called the White Knights of Kandrakar. After Nerissa, Phobos and Cedric each came very close to defeating Kandrakar, the elders realized that the Guardians alone were not enough to protect the fortress. Several contingency plans were put into place. The most successful of these were the White Knights. Indestructible suits of armor made sentient by Kandrakar's magic, the Knights could be given any order and they would follow. Obedient and powerful, they were the perfect weapons. Just point them at whatever you wanted gone, and in a few hours it would be.

Even if the Honor Guard had known all of this, it wouldn't have mattered. The Knights were designed to be on the same power level as the Guardians, and were too much for the Honor Guard to handle.

The Knights orders for this mission were to 'remove the Queen of Meridian from power with the least violence possible'. This meant that any member of the Honor Guard that attacked was dispatched with only minor cuts and scratches, not lethal force. But the Knights had also been told to use 'any means necessary' to complete their mission, and the Meridian warriors were determined to protect their ruler. As the fight went on, the members of the Honor Guard were thrown back with more and more force. As Walli was flung into a wall, one of the Knights began to grow spikes from his gauntlet as the Guardians watched helplessly. The message was clear. The next hit was fatal.

"Will, we have to do something! Before someone gets hurt!" Irma said.

"Hey, I'm open to ideas." Will replied.

"I've got one." Elyon said, stepping to the front of the group.

"Hey!" She shouted, "Here I am, come and get me!"

The Knights forgot all about the Honor Guard and headed towards Elyon.

"Elyon, no! You can't!" Caleb shouted.

"Can and will." Elyon replied calmly. "This is Kandrakar, not Phobos, or Nerissa or Dee. I'll go with these guys and talk to the Oracle. I'll be fine, trust me. Besides, what's been your plan? Just keep attacking until they kill you?"

Caleb said nothing. That had been exactly his plan, but he decided now was not a good time to mention it. He reluctantly sheathed his sword.

"I don't like this." He said.

"No kidding. But it's easier this way." Elyon replied.

Two of the Knights grabbed Elyon by the arms and walked her towards one of the folds. The other two headed towards Will. One of them faced Will, pointed to the Heart, and held out his hand. The other raised a fist. The message was clear. By disobeying Kandrakar, Will had forfeited her powers, and the Heart. She was to give it back, or face the consequences. She looked over at her teammates and her friends. There was only one thing she could do. She handed over the Heart. The Knights turned and followed the other two, who still held Elyon.

"Oh, Cornelia, do me a favor!" Elyon shouted over her shoulder.

"Of course, Elyon. What is it?"

"You're his girlfriend, don't let him do anything stupid!"

And with that, Elyon disappeared into the fold.

"Alright," Caleb said, as soon as the knights had left, "Father, Vathek, gather all the troops you can find. Tynar, Raythor, I want a weapons report. Drake, Walli, see if you can…"

He paused. The Guardians were glaring at him, especially Cornelia.

"I'm not going to do anything stupid." Caleb protested.

"Caleb, you're about to attack Kandrakar. You know, the people who just defeated all of you with four, empty suits of armor. That is the definition of stupid."

"Well we have to do something!" Caleb said.

"I know it's tough, but just wait an hour or two. Until you're thinking clearly again. Trust me, it's for the best." Cornelia said.

Cornelia was doing her best to put on a brave face, but inside she was hurting just as much as Caleb. She had known Elyon for a lot longer then Caleb had. She kept reminding her self that it was Kandrakar, and they wouldn't do anything to hurt her.

"Um, guys?" Will said. "I think we have bigger problems."

"Is it really…? I mean, is it gone?" Irma asked.

"Yeah." Will replied. "Girls, I don't think we're Guardians anymore."

Before the impact of this statement could sink in, another fold appeared behind the group. The members of the Honor Guard drew their weapons, ready for anything. Hay Lin instinctively tensed, also ready for battle, until she realized that there was nothing she could do. Fortunately, though, no warriors came through the fold. Instead, one man stepped through, holding a clipboard. The members of the Honor Guard lowered their weapons when they saw he was no threat.

"Greetings." The man said. "My name is Buchan. It is an honor to meet all of you."

Buchan was an older man, with large rimmed glasses and a long, hooked nose that made him look slightly like an owl. He wore a black, Kardrakar robe, which had been modified to be more practical and allow for quicker movement. His grey hair was unkempt, making him look like he had just lost a battle with a particularly nasty windstorm.

"Why are you here?" growled Caleb.

"My official role is 'chief official extra-planetary political reclamation officer, first class.'" Buchan said.

This received blank stares from the Honor Guard.

"I'm a placeholder." Buchan explained. "Just until Elyon comes back, and then I'll…"

"Wait a second, you're taking Elyon's place?" Julian asked.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Caleb said. "First you take Elyon away from us, and now you try to replace her!"

"Well, hold on a sec, I didn't…" Buchan began to say until he was quickly interrupted.

"I say we kidnap him, and force Kandrakar to give back Elyon." Raythor said.

"Makes sense to me." Drake added.

"AHEM!" Buchan said, much louder then anyone would have thought given his size. It had the desired effect, as the Honor Guard stopped and turned to him.

"_I _did not take Elyon, and _I _am not trying to replace her." he said. "I had nothing to do with the decision. I didn't even vote for Endarno. Nevertheless, it is my job to be here, and it's a job I take pretty seriously. So you can either let me, a trained professional, help you, or you can deal with the disappearance of your queen by yourself."

Caleb fiddled with the hilt of his sword, letting everyone know what he wanted to do.

"Caleb, he does have a point." Julian said.

"I know." Caleb said with a sigh.

While this was happening, Walli had made his way over to the Guardians.

"Hey, Walli. How you doing?" Irma asked.

"Actually, I was more worried about you." Walli said, causing Irma to blush. "Uh, that is, the five of you."

"Oh, of course. The five of us." Irma said.

"We're doing fine, I guess." Taranee said.

"We don't even know how we should feel." Hay Lin said. "It feels weird without the Heart. I guess we're in a state of shock. I mean, we've been Guardians for so long."

"But that's just it." Will blurted. "We've been doing this for so long. Don't we deserve a normal life?"

"That's a whole different question." Irma said.

"Well, we're going to have to answer it." Taranee said.

"What do you mean?" Cornelia asked.

"We're sort of stuck like this." Taranee said. "We have no way to get back to Kandrakar. I'm going to guess that Endarno blocked the Tonga tooth as well. Like or not, for the next few days, we're just ordinary humans."

"What about here?" Irma asked. "Any idea what's gonna happen, Walli?"

"Actually, I was hoping you might know." Walli said. "You've known Caleb longer then I have."

"Caleb's smart." Cornelia said. "Smarter then most people think. He just lets his emotions control him sometimes." She caught the look from Irma. "Alright, a lot of times. Don't worry though. He'll make the right call."

"I wish I was that confident." Caleb said, joining the group.

"Are you letting Buchan stay?" Will asked.

"Yeah. It's not like he's much of a threat. I got Vathek and Tynar keeping an eye on him, just in case. They'll either show him the ropes, or the inside of a cell. Either way is fine by me." Caleb said.

"We wish we could help…" Hay Lin said.

"Can we be sure Elyon needs help?" Will said. "I mean, I'm sorry she's gone too, but it is Kandrakar. Shouldn't we trust that they know what they're doing?"

"I can't be sure Elyon's in danger, but the Kandrakar I know wouldn't do this." Caleb said.

"And even if they did, this isn't the way they would do it." Taranee added.

"Yeah, this whole thing stinks." Hay Lin said. "I mean, how much do we even know about this Endarno guy, anyways? Maybe he's Phobos with a Glamour."

"I don't even want to think about that." Will said. "I wish we could do more Caleb, but…"

"I understand." Caleb said. "Hey, this isn't really the end of the Guardians, is it?"

"I doubt it. I'm sure they'll find someone to replace us." Taranee said.

"That's not what I meant." Caleb said. "We've done some amazing things together, the six of us. Are you saying that's all over?"

"I haven't known you for very long," Walli added, "but I'd sure feel more comfortable if I knew W.I.T.C.H was around."

"We'll do what we can." Irma said, giving Walli a faint smile.

Will smiled as well, but she said nothing. Caleb used the Tonga tooth to open a fold, and the girls stepped back into Heatherfield.

Heatherfield

The ex-Guardians sat around the basement of the silver dragon, as they had hundreds of times before. The situation had finally sunk in for them. They were no longer Guardians. Each girl was feeling hundreds of different emotions. For some, they felt a feeling of loss, like they had said goodbye to a childhood friend. For others, there was a sense of a new beginning, as if they had gotten a second chance at life. For all of them, though, there was still one overriding question.

"What do we do now?"

"This is going to sound stupid, but what do normal girls do?" Taranee asked.

"Well, I guess we can catch up with our school work. And I know and could spend some time with my mom." Will said.

"Wait a second, are we just giving up on the Guardians this quickly?" Cornelia asked.

"What would you have us do?" Will asked. "We can't go to Kandrakar, and the Heart's gone."

"I don't know, but shouldn't we do something?" Cornelia said.

"Do we even want our powers back?" Hay Lin said. "I mean, we've been complaining about them for weeks."

Nobody said anything for a while. Hay Lin had finally said that they we're all thinking. Did they want their powers back? The thought of even a few days without monsters or trials or wars was very enticing. Maybe being normal would be best for them. Maybe it would be best for everyone.

"This is too big a decision to make tonight. We need a day to think about it, at least." Will said looking out the window to see the sun beginning to set.

"Tomorrow's Sunday." Taranee said. "By Monday, we should have some idea of what we're going to do. But for a least one day, we're just normal girls."

"Well then," Will said. "Tomorrow should be a very interesting day."


	22. Water

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 21

Water

Warm sun, warm covers and, yes, even birds chirping! A perfect spring morning! If I had my way, this is how every day would begin.

For those of you who don't know me, I'm Irma Lair, and I am the Guardian of Water. Or is that Water Guardian? Doesn't matter now, I guess, since I'm not the Guardian of anything anymore. Twelve hours ago, Will lost the Heart. Well, to be fair, she didn't really lose it, a couple of weirdo Kandrakar knight things took it from her. Either way, it means I'm powerless. Irma Lair, just an ordinary girl from Heatherfield.

I savor the morning for a few, fleeting seconds, then roll out of bed. As I run through my daily schedule, I realize that it's empty. To my surprise, I find that that without monsters and villains, I don't really know what to do with myself. It's a pretty nice feeling actually. I can do what ever I want, as long as it doesn't require wings to get there.

I scarf down breakfast and feel an overwhelming sense of boredom begin to creep up on me. Mom is in the kitchen, dad's at work and Chris…

"Chris, put down that diary! It's not yours!"

Chris is Chris.

I decide that I need some fresh air, so I head out for a walk. I used to go on walks all the time before the Guardians happened. Come to think of it, there are a lot of things I used to before the Guardians that I don't have time for anymore.

With no particular destination in mind, I head downtown. Okay, so not exactly the best place for 'fresh' air, but hey, I'm not picky.

"Morning Irma."

"Morning Mr. Peterson."

Mr. Peterson, the baker. Best in Heatherfield. The man can do amazing things with dough.

"Good morning Irma."

"Good morning Mrs. Davis."

Mrs. Davis, owner of Daisies by Davis, the local flower store. I buy a dozen roses from her every mother's day.

As I walk through the crowded streets, saying hi to various people, I realize I know every store and every street in town. I've lived in Heatherfield my entire life, and there is nothing in it that's unfamiliar. And I start to realize, that's the problem. There's nothing to explore in Heatherfield. Just this week, I've visited two other worlds, now I'm supposed to be content with one city? Can I really live knowing what's out there?

O.K., that line of thinking is getting way too serious. I whip out my phone and give Hay Lin a call. She picks up on the first ring.

"Hey Irma, what are you doing?" she says.

"I'm bored out of my mind! Lunch at Moxie's?"

Moxie's is one of my favorite restaurants. It's a little out of my price range, especially considering my lack of employment, but I feel I need a pick me up.

"You too, huh? Sure. I'll meet you there." She says.

Hay Lin and I have known each other since we were kids, longer then anyone else on the team. (Although I guess now we're not a team anymore, just five friends.) Either way, I've always felt closer to Hay Lin then anyone else. Whether it's a mission or just lunch, there's no one I'd rather have at my back.

Thirty minutes later, I'm checking out the menu as Hay Lin sits down across from me.

"So, how's life for Hay Lin: Ordinary Heatherfield civilian?" I ask, perusing the entrée's.

"I could get use to this." She says. "No monsters, or weird slimy things trying to eat me, just rest and relaxation. Hey, did you know there's a restaurant down the street that's actually called Meridian? How cool is that? Eric's taking me there tonight."

See, here's the thing with Hay Lin. She's so sweet that I know she's not trying to rub in the fact that she has a boyfriend and I don't, so I can't really be mad at her. Still hurts when she says it though, more then it should. I guess just seeing Eric and Matt and Caleb just makes me wish I had someone, but that doesn't look like it's going to happen anytime soon. Add that on to the fact that Meridian and Elyon may be in danger and I'm powerless to help them, and you could say I'm not in the best of moods.

"How's your job search going?" Hay Lin asks, accidently adding another worry to the pile.

"Not so well. I was a stacker at Val-u-Mart until a pile of cans landed on Mr. Tomlinson, and I was a fry cook at Sit n' Slurp until one of the patties I was flipping hit Mr. Peterson right in the face."

Hay Lin laughs, thinking I'm joking. I make a mental note to swing by the hospital to see if Mr. Peterson's burns have healed.

The job situation just gets me even more down. Something else I don't have. No need to have Hay Lin worry about me too. That's why I'm the funny one. That's why I make jokes even when we're risking our lives. If I pretend everything is okay, maybe it will be.

"What's going on in there?" I ask, waving my arms wildly. "What's taking our food so long? Cornelia takes less time to put her make-up on then this!"

The waiter scurries over, breathing apologies. I order my favorite, Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo. If you want to hear me take something seriously, just start talking about food. I love eating it, (obvious if you've ever seen me), and I love making it even more. Nothing tastes better then a meal you've worked on. It may sound stupid, but food is one of the few things I will not joke about. If we're really not Guardians anymore, I might start learning how to become a chef.

"How's things with Eric?" I ask, tying to spark some conversation.

"Fine, fine. Why do you ask?" Hay Lin replies.

"Oh, no reason. And the folks, how are they?" I ask.

"They're good. This is a real busy time at the restaurant. I should be there helping out, but I just couldn't get my head into it this morning. What about your parents?"

"They're doin' alright. Chris is still annoying. Hey, do we have a math test on Friday?"

"Yeah."

"Hmmm, I should study."

"Yeah, me too."

As our food arrives, I realize two things, neither of which I like. First of all, Hay Lin and I are both doing everything we can to not talk about Elyon or Meridian. I guess we feel like if we don't think about it, it's not really there. And secondly, I realize that neither of us have anything to talk about outside of our Guardian lives. It's as if Irma and Hay Lin the People have been replaced by Irma and Hay Lin the Guardians. Not a pleasant thought. Then again, Irma the Guardian can fly and go to different worlds, while Irma the person is sitting in a restaurant eating a poor meal.

Wait a second. This is an expensive meal, so why does it taste like cardboard?

"Man, this tastes like cardboard." I say.

Unfortunately, we're sitting right under the kitchen window, so the chef hears me.

"Hey," he says, his head popping over the windowsill, "I'd like to see you do better!"

See, here's my problem. I have this big, beautiful, brilliant brain, that's always coming up with really good ideas. The trouble is, my brain has very little control over what my body actually does, and it has no control over my mouth. So while my brain is telling me to apologize and eat my pasta, my mouth is already open.

"I bet I could. In fact, I know I could!"

The chef is slightly taken aback by my words. To be honest, so am I.

"I could out cook you any day of the week!" He says, quickly regaining his confidence.

This is what my brain is thinking: "I'm sorry sir, of course you're a better cook. You are a professional, after all. I'm sorry if I offended you."

This is what my mouth actually says:

"Bring it on!"

For some reason, my legs decide to agree with my mouth and I start walking towards the kitchen. My ears also choose ignore both my brain and Hay Lin, who is vainly trying to stop me. No chance of that now, though. My mouth has gotten me into this mess, time for the rest of me to get me out of it.

I've just resigned myself to this culinary battle when a short, stocky bald man comes out of a room labeled OWNER. Looks like he'll put an end to this.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he says, turning to the crowd, "it appears we have a challenger!"

Or not.

"What is your name young lady?"

"Uh, Irma. Irma Lair." I say, not sounding nearly as confident as I would have liked.

"Well, Ms. Lair, my name is Mr. Reid. I have seen you in here before, have I not?"

"Yeah." I say. I guess I've been in here more then I thought.

"And now, you say you can cook better then one of my best chefs? And you are willing to prove it?"

"Yeah."

"And you, Josh," he says, turning to the chef, "do you accept this challenge?"

"Of course." Josh says. "I can cook circles around her."

"Very well." Mr. Reid says, "Here are the stakes. Irma, if you lose, you can not eat here again for a full year."

"And if I win?" I ask, mentally watching a years worth of food drift away.

"What would you like?"

For once, my mouth and my brain agree on an idea.

"How about a job?"

Mr. Reid thinks about this for a few moments.

"I believe that could be arranged."

I'll say one thing for this guy, he knows how to work a crowd. The place is packed now, and all eyes are on us. People on the street have heard the commotion and have come inside to get a better look. Now it's really time to put up or shut up, and I've never been good at shutting up. Man, I'm really glad Cornelia wasn't around to hear that.

"I am going to go back into my office." Mr. Reid says, "In the next thirty minuets, each of you make the best dish you are capable of. Once you are done, one of my waiters will bring me both plates, and I will taste both, not knowing who cooked which one. I will then decide the winner. Understood?"

"Yes sir." We both say.

"Very well, let us begin!"

With a last little smile at the crowd, he walks back into his office and shuts the door.

I hate to admit it, but for one, brief second, I panic. I'm surrounded by people I don't know, I'm in a strange kitchen, and I'm about to face a professional chef in a cook off. Of course, it's Hay Lin that shocks me back to reality.

"Come on Irma! Take him down!"

I give Hay Lin a wink and turn around. This is just like a battle on Meridian, always check your surroundings first. I'm used to having to cook with whatever is left in the fridge from last night, now I've got every ingredient I can think off available. I feel a smile begin to tug at my lips.

The next thirty minutes are a blur. I'm putting together a great meal, but I'm not even thinking about it, I'm too busy enjoying the moment. The crowd is pumped, Hay Lin's shouting encouragements, and I can feel the energy flowing through the room. My hands are sweaty, my legs are weak and my heart is pounding. I feel alive! And as all this is happening, I realize that this is what it felt like when I was a Guardian. All the excitement, the power, and yes, even the fear, it all feels wonderful! And I realize that I can't live without knowing this feeling.

I barely recognize the fact that the thirty minutes are up. I barely remember the waiter taking our plates to the owner. I'm barely paying attention when Mr. Reid tells the crowd that I won.

I feel the thrill of victory as Hay Lin gives me a hug and Mr. Reid tells me that I'm hired. I know for the first time exactly where I belong. I'm a Guardian because I need to be. The excitement, the danger, I want all of it. How can I live an ordinary life when it's so much fun being extraordinary? There are so many adventures to have, so many places to explore, and I want to see them all! It's what I was born to do, and it's what I will do until the day I die.

My name is Irma Lair, and I am a Guardian.


	23. Fire

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 22

Fire

My alarm rings at 8:00 a.m. sharp. It doesn't need to though; I've been awake and alert for a while now. Too many things have happened in the last couple of days for me to sleep peacefully. Elyon's on Kandrakar. Our powers are gone. My brain's trying to go through every series of events possible for the next few days, but it's too much information at once, and I'm getting a headache. No good ever came from an 8 a.m. headache.

In case you haven't figured it out, my name is Taranee Cook. You probably know me best as a Guardian. I'm the one who shoots fireballs out of my hands. That's not me anymore, though, now I'm just an ordinary girl from Heatherfield, and that's the way I like it.

I decide to focus just on today. It's not as easy as it sounds, putting together a schedule for a normal day. I frown as I realize I can't remember the last time I had a day that wasn't affected by the Guardians in one way or another. Our entire lives, ruled by some old men in robes. It's not right. I don't know about the rest of the girls, but I'm perfectly happy without the wings.

Twenty minutes later, I'm on my way downstairs and I've got my whole day planned out. I've got to admit, it's going to be a pretty awesome day. A chance to catch up on my schoolwork (I don't even want to think about my GPA this semester), and a chance to just relax and have some fun.

"Good morning everyone!" I say cheerfully. What can I say; I'm in a good mood. I don't have to fight a single monster today. Naturally, it's my brother Peter that notices the change.

"What happened to you?" he asks, "You're smiling! I wasn't sure you still knew how to do that."

"Just glad to be with my family." I say, giving him a hug.

"Woah, now physical showings of affection? Who are you and what have you done with my sister? And whatever you've done with her, keep doing it. I like this version way better."

"Knock it off, Peter." My mom says. "You should be glad that your sister is in a good mood for once."

I manage to keep my smile, but I'm surprised by their words. Was I really that miserable as a Guardian? Doesn't matter now, that life is behind me.

My thoughts are interrupted by a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" I say, jumping up.

I answer the door and see an unexpected face.

"Taranee? It's me, Mary!"

And with four words, the plans of an entire day fade away. I give a shamefully girlish sequel and wrap the girl in front of me in a big hug.

"Mary! How long has it been?"

"A little under three years now, Tara."

Of course it's been a little under three years, because it was a little under three years since I moved to Heatherfield, and a little under three years since I became a Guardian.

Okay, time to explain. Before we moved to Heatherfield three years ago, we lived in a small town called Sesamo. I have a lot of good memories from Sesamo, and they all involve Mary, who was my best friend. We did everything together. She's a tall, athletic girl, who's very attractive in a dangerous sort of way. Pretty much the opposite of what I was like back then, which is probably why we got along so well. She always looked out for me, and protected me from anyone who would have picked on me. Once I moved to Heatherfield, though, we lost touch. You know how things are when you move, you make new friends and you forget about the old ones, no matter how hard you try not too. Sadly, I hadn't spoken to her since I became a Guardian.

"Wow, you're a lot stronger then I remember." She says.

"Sorry." I say, quickly realizing my bear hug. "But, what are you doing here? Don't you still live in Sesamo?"

"Yep, but Aunt Joyce just moved to Heatherfield, and we're giving her a hand moving in. I just had to come see you."

"Well, I'm glad you did." I say.

"Taranee, who is it?" I hear my mom ask from the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Mary is inside getting reacquainted with the family. Once everyone has said hi, I show Mary my room.

"So what are you doing today? You're not busy, are you?" Mary asks.

"Actually, I'm more free today then I have been in years." I say truthfully.

"Great! Then you can show me around town." She says, dragging me towards the door.

Where do two girls go when they've got no deadlines and no responsibilities? The shopping mall, of course.

"It went up about six months ago." I tell Mary as we wander past the stores.

I don't tell her that it's also the same place we fought Nerissa and her brainwashed Guardians. There are some things that have to stay between new friends.

"Wow, we don't have anything like this in Sesamo!" she says, looking around in awe. Sesamo is a pretty small town. Everybody knows everybody, and the biggest store is a Ma & Pa's.

"Hey, there's a Donnington's up there on the fourth floor! They have the best deals!" I say, pointing up.

"Great! Come on, there's got to be stairs somewhere." She replies.

"Why stairs?" I ask, "There's an elevator right here."

"Oh, I thought you were afraid of elevators." She says, surprised.

"Oh, I got over that years ago."

When you can fly, not much sense in being afraid of elevators. Two hours and two empty credit cars later, we decide to head home, mostly due to the fact that all of our bags are weighing us down.

"There's no way I'm walking home carrying all of this." I say. "Let's call a cab."

"You take taxis?" she asks. "You used to be terrified of taxis. You always thought they would drive away with you inside. I guess that's another fear you've conquered."

I had forgotten all about my fear of taxis. I was afraid of a lot of things back then, I guess it controlled my life. I used to be just a timid and frightened girl, too shy to do much of anything. That's why I was so close to Mary. She was the only person who would be my friend. I'm not like that anymore though, and as much as I hate to say it, it's because of the Guardians. Little yellow cars don't look like much compared to giant lizards.

After we've dropped our bags off at home, Mary tells me she should get back to her parents before it gets to late.

"Do you at least have time for lunch?" I ask.

"Of course, Tara." She says. "Know anywhere good?"

"The best." I say with a smile. "There's a little place, it's called the Silver Dragon."

I take us through an ally way, behind some old shops. It smells horrible, but it cuts twenty minutes off our walk.

"Wow," Mary says, holding her nose, "the Taranee I knew would never have walked down here."

I smile, remembering the first time I came down here. The Star of Threbe had taken away our powers, and we had to sneak back to the Dragon without being seen. I'm surprised to find I have good memories of those days. Despite my best efforts to the contrary, I find myself feeling fondly about the Guardians. No sense worrying about it now though, those days are long gone.

Suddenly, a strange feeling washes over me, as if someone had just stepped on my grave. It's coming from the store beside us, but what is it? It feels so familiar… too familiar.

"Mary, get down!"

The back door of the store beside us is blown open by a massive fireball. Fire. Of course it's fire. I could sense it coming. Guess some things stay with you, Heart or now Heart. Mary's fine, but shaken. I don't know what happened, and I don't care. I can hear coughing. There's someone still inside!

"Mary, stay here." I say, sprinting towards the door.

"Taranee, wait!" She says, but it's too late, I'm already inside. It's weird how my instinct was to run into the burning building. I guess I'm just used to rushing into danger. Normally I have the girls beside me, but…

The store is engulfed in flames. It's a convenience store and the owner is the only one inside, but he's unconscious. Turns out he had been smoking, and had accidently thrown his cigarette butt into the furnace. I don't know any of that at the time, though. I'm too busy trying to get both of us out alive.

The trouble with flame is that it's hypnotic. The flickering light, the warmth, it's enough to put someone to sleep. I'm used to it, so it doesn't slow me down. Even the smoke doesn't bother me as much as it would other people. When you fight with fire, you also know how to fight against it.

I sprint through the store, pulling my shirt over my mouth. The storeowner doesn't look too good. He's unconscious, which is probably for the best. I grab him and drag him towards the door.

Not many people know this, but fire cools down a little before it explodes. Not much, only a couple of degrees, but if you're in tune with fire like I am, and if you're looking for it, it's noticeable. Just as we're nearing the door, I feel it. The calm before the storm. The intake of heat just before it's dramatically released. I throw the owner out of the door, and then leap to safety seconds before the store explodes.

By the time it's over, I'm lying on the cold pavement, coughing a store's worth of smoke out of my lungs. Mary, not used to life or death situations like I am, is panicking, and calling my name over and over again.

"Calm down, Mary, I'm alright." I say, getting to my feet. "How's the owner?"

Mary rushes over to the man and does a quick check. She was a lifeguard at one point, so she knows her first aid.

"He's not awake, but I think he's fine. Tara, that was amazing!"

That's a relief. At least all that effort wasn't in vain. I can hear sirens in the distance.

"Let's get out of here." I say, "Before anyone sees us."

"What? But you just saved that man's life! Don't you at least want your name in the paper?"

"Sure, but I don't want to go through hundreds of interviews and police reports. It's easier if we just make a clean break."

She resists for a while, but eventually I get the both of us out of the alley before the cops show up.

"I don't understand you." Mary says, "You could be a hero, and instead you just leave?"

I shrug. It's all I can really do. I'm already a hero on another world, and after all I've done, I guess pulling someone out of a burning building just doesn't cut it anymore. I hate to admit it, but I'm starting to rethink my position on being a Guardian. If it weren't for my Guardian experience, that man would have died. How can the Guardians be a bad thing if they save people's lives? By the time we get to the Dragon, I'm thoroughly confused.

"And the way you just ran into that building? That was amazing!" Mary says, "You used to hate fire more then anything."

"I've grown to appreciate fire in a completely different way. It's like a friend to me now." I say truthfully.

"So no more fear of fire, or elevators." Mary says thoughtfully. "What about spiders?"

"Nope." Too much time fighting Miranda forced me to get over that.

"Public speaking?"

"Not anymore." I've had to reassure so many Meridianites…

"Heights?"

"Gone." I can fly. Could fly.

"Bats?"

"No problem." I've faced Phobos. Bats are nothing.

"High toilets?"

"Fearless." Okay, that one was just stupid.

"Well, I don't know what you've been doing these last few years, but keep doing it."

"Huh?" I say. Not my most intelligent response ever.

"You're a whole new person." Mary says. "A better one too, I might add. You used to be timid and shy. Now you're a strong, independent person. You saved someone's life today like it was a regular occurrence. I used to feel bad for you with all your fears, now I envy you. You're braver and stronger then I'll ever be."

The weirdest thing is, she's right. I used to be scared of my own shadow, and now? I feel like I can do anything. I'd hate to be the person I was three years ago. And the reason for the change? The Guardians. Like it or not, they've changed my life. How can I reject something that's made me such a better person? I realize I can't. I need to be a Guardian, if not for others, then for me.

Mary and I finish our meals and she says she has to go. It's been great seeing her again, but I'm afraid I had too much on my mind to appreciate it.

"Thanks." I say, giving her a hug.

"For what?"

"You helped me make a tough decision." I say.

She doesn't understand, but she doesn't have to. We say goodbye, promising to keep in touch.

I've made up my mind. The Guardians have made me the person I am today, and I can't wait to see where they take me tomorrow.

My name is Taranee Cook, and I am a Guardian.


	24. Earth

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 23

Earth

I'm lying in my bed, face down on my pillow, and something's wrong. I don't know what, but something is definitely wrong. For now though, I don't care what it is. I'm just going to enjoy the few blissful seconds before I remember what happened. My bed is warm, I'm perfectly comfortable and it looks like it's going to be a beautiful sunny day. What could possibly be wrong?

We have no powers, and Elyon is on Kandrakar.

Oh yeah, that. Well, it was good while it lasted.

While I adjust to reality, let me introduce myself. My name is Cornelia Hale, and until yesterday I was Guardian of Earth, which, for the record, is not as much fun as it sounds.

Okay, one problem at a time. The girls are going to want to make a decision on this as soon as possible, so I better give it some serious thought.

I could certainty live without being a Guardian. Fighting evil's not really my thing. And those costumes, purple and green? Who designed that? But if it weren't for the Guardians, I never would have met Caleb, who is the most important person in my life right now. And without the Heart, not only would I lose touch with him, but Elyon as well.

Elyon. The first time she was captured by someone evil, (and I can't believe that sentence makes sense) I stole the Heart and tried to rescue her by myself. Even though it didn't go so well, I can feel the urge to do it again. Well, not with the Heart, obviously.

I don't know what I'm going to do today, but I know what I'm not going to do. I'm not going to think about Meridian. There's nothing I can do for Elyon, so there's no point in worrying about it. I'm just going to try to relax. Normally, any time Elyon gets in trouble I start to panic. If anything ever happened to her, I don't know what I'd do. But she's not really in danger (probably) and there's nothing I can do anyways, so I'm not even going to think about it. I'm just going to enjoy my Guardian free day.

It's been a while since I had a day to my self. You would not believe how annoying being a Guardian can be sometimes. Every time I want to do something, I have to make sure it doesn't mess up some Guardian mission. So today is a no-Guardian day. Today is my day.

I start my morning by getting myself a big bowl of my favorite cereal, Looped Fruit™. Come to think of it, it was Elyon's favorite cereal too.

Sigh. Ten seconds into the day and I'm already thinking about Elyon. Well no more. That's the last time I'm even going to mention the word Elyon.

T.V., it will make me feel better. Sunday morning, there's got to be some cartoons on. Sure enough, within seconds I've found some mouse chasing some cat with a hammer. Hey, I know this show, Elyon used to love this…

Okay, now this is just ridiculous. Elyon wouldn't want me to worry, so I'm not going to. I'm just going to sit here and relax.

"MEOW!"

"Napoleon, come here! It's time for your bath!"

"You gotta save me doll!" Napoleon whispers, diving behind the couch. "I'll do anything, just not a bath. Anything but a bath!"

Talking cat. Also not as much fun as it sounds. Fur balls are gross. Having the cat explain what a fur ball feels like is worse. Napoleon's screams echo down the hallway as Lillian drags him towards the bathroom. None of this is very relaxing.

The ringing of the buzzer only adds to my annoyance. Someone is downstairs and wants to get into the building.

"Yes? Who are you and what do you want?" I yell over pained 'meows'.

"Um, it's Caleb." comes the voice through the speakers. "I was going to check on you to see how you were doing, but it sounds like a bad time."

Great, I yelled at the one person I don't feel like yelling at. I'm on a roll today.

"It's never a bad time, Caleb. Not for you. Just give me a sec and I'll be down."

A minute later, I'm downstairs giving Caleb a hug. I figure any chance I had at ignoring Meridian has long gone, so I just give in.

"How are things on Meridian?" I ask.

"All things considered, not bad." He says. "But it's best if I show you. Want to head over to the castle?"

Regular boyfriends take girls to movies. Caleb takes me to a castle. Am I lucky or what? We check to make sure that no one's watching, and then Caleb uses the Tonga tooth to fold us back to

Meridian

Hmmm, I've always wanted to think something underlined. Neat. Not that I should be joking at a time like this. I can't help it though. It's something Irma taught me. When things seem bad, just try to find something to laugh about. I'm not as good at it as Irma is, but I do find it helps when your best friend is a prisoner. But if you ever tell Irma I'm using her advice, I will hurt you.

Caleb walks me through the castle out to the balcony. We've been here before, and it's sort of become our spot whenever we just want to talk.

"Wow, everything looks pretty normal, actually." I say honestly. "How Buchan been doing?"

For those of you who don't know, Buchan is Kandrakar's appointed replacement ruler of Meridian.

"Pretty well, actually. He's not the cause of this, so I can't blame him for what's happened. And he's a pretty nice guy."

I can tell Caleb didn't want to admit that. He's itching for an excuse to charge into Kandrakar and demand Elyon back, but without us as backup, he wouldn't stand a chance. It's tough knowing that if I had my powers I could help both Caleb and Elyon. Caleb's not good at admitting defeat.

"I assume the Tonga tooth can't take us to Kandrakar?" I ask, knowing the answer.

"Right." Caleb says, staring out at the city.

"What about the mage ring?" I say, slightly embarrassed I hadn't thought about it before. "Surely it could get us there."

"Yeah, it could, except we kind, of, maybe, sort of, lost it." Caleb says, scratching the back of his neck.

"You what?"

"Look, Aldarn put it in the trophy room after Nerissa was defeated, and now it's not there."

"Maybe Blunk stole it." I say with a smile. "Hey, wait a minute, where is Blunk? I haven't seen him in ages."

"You complaining?" Caleb says with a smile. "To be honest, I kind of lost him too. You know, we were actually training him to be a spy after Phobos was defeated. But with Nerissa and Dee and forming the Honor Guard, I kind of forgot about him."

"I'm sure he's alright." I say.

We stand in silence for a few moments, just the two of us. It's so rare nowadays for us to just talk, without worrying about dying. There was a time, before Caleb and I became a couple, that I hated going to Meridian. Remember, I was the last to believe we actually had magic. Now, however, I find myself looking for any excuse to come back here. Aside from the girls and my family, everyone I care about is on Meridian.

"Nobody realizes how bad it was under Phobos." Caleb says, breaking the silence.

"We saw a lot of it while fighting." I say.

"Yeah, but you didn't live it. That was my life, for fifteen years. I had my first real sword fight when I was ten. We never knew where our next meal would come from, never knew where our next bed would be. I never even knew if my father would come home safely each night, until one day he didn't. Turns out he was alright, but still."

He's right, of course. I have now idea what it was like. While he was fighting Phobos, I was getting manicures and going shoe shopping. I tend to focus on the rebel side of Caleb, make him sound like some sort of dashing, devil-may-care hero, without realizing how much it affected him. I wonder what he would have been like with out having to grow up under Phobos? I wonder what I would be like with out the Guardians.

"But that's a changed now." He continues. "Ever since Elyon came. People like Endarno, they only see the fights. Yeah, we still have people like Nerissa and Dee trying to take over, but now we're defending something good, not destroying something bad. It makes a difference. We're choosing to fight, because we have something worth fighting for."

"Elyon is an amazing person." I say. "She always has been. I've known her all my life, and I always knew she was something special. I just didn't know she was this special."

Will, Taranee, Hay Lin, and yes, even Irma, are all my friends. Great friends, actually. I'm lucky to know them. But Elyon? Elyon's different.

When I was young, like, four, I had Pneumonia. I had to be hospitalized. Nothing but staring at the ceiling and hospital food for the worst eleven days of my life. I barely even knew Elyon by that time. We had preschool together, that's it, but she came and visited me every day I was in there. Sometimes I would describe things and she would draw them for me. They didn't look like much, she was only four too, but it made each of my days so much better. By the time I got better, we were best friends for life.

"I'm sure she's fine." I say, mostly to reassure myself, as well as Caleb.

"I know." Caleb says with a sigh. "I know I'm way over-protective, but I can't help it. She's the best thing that ever happened to Meridian. I can't imagine life without her."

Now, normally, if a girl's boyfriend were talking this way about another girl, she'd slap him. But I know Elyon and I know Caleb, and I know their relationship. I think of Caleb as and big, older brother to Elyon. They have a very special bond, but nothing even close to the one Caleb and I have.

Once, Caleb tried to convince Elyon that there should be armed guards in her room at all time, even at night. Elyon naturally refused and they had an argument, which Elyon won, of course. So Caleb built a secret room above Elyon's bedroom that is constantly filled with guards, and has a sliding floor. If there's ever an emergency, they slide the floor back and drop into Elyon's room. If Elyon ever found out about it, she'd kill him. See, just like siblings. If you even suggested something romantic between them, they'd both think it was gross.

"Of course, Elyon's not nearly as special as you." Caleb says, trying his best to sound casual. It doesn't work. Yeah, Caleb's a warrior, but he's a softie at heart.

I give him a kiss and put my arm around him as we watch the city below us.

I used to think romance was dead. Then I met Caleb.

There was a time, right after Phobos was defeated, that I was convinced it wouldn't work between us. He said he had to stay on Meridian, and I got mad at him. It lasted for quite a while. I knew perfectly well that he had to stay on Meridian; it's where he belongs. He wouldn't be happy anywhere else. I guess I thought that what we had would never last, and I was just looking for an excuse to end it. After all, we were completely different people. He was a warrior and I had weekly pedicures. He owned twenty daggers and I owned twenty pairs of shoes. We were literally from different planets, after all. How could we possibly ever be together? Then I realized something. I loved him, not because of the way he looked (although that didn't hurt), but for who he was and for what he did. It was the person inside that mattered. I loved just spending time with him and talking with him. And once I realized that, nothing else mattered.

I used to think romance was dead. Then I met Caleb.

We spend the next few hours together, and I get caught up on everything that's happening on Meridian. Buchan is actually a really nice guy, who seems to genuinely want what's best for Meridian. I think Caleb really likes him too, since he only had two guards watching him at all times, instead of the normal six.

As amazing as it is, the fight they had against the R.E.G. seems to have really brought the Honor Guard together. Drake and Tynar are best friends, and even Raythor and Vathek have stopped trying to kill each other. I wouldn't say they like each other, but still, progress. I don't think I've ever seen Walli smile, he's more of the strong and serious type, but he seems to be fitting in. Caleb said he was talking to Walli about the Guardians one day, and that Walli got really quiet every time Caleb mentioned Irma. Hmmm, I'll have to keep an eye on that.

Overall, though, the rest of the day is a ton of fun. Yes, it's a little bittersweet because Elyon's not there, but we still manage to have a good time talking, laughing and just hanging out. Elyon, Caleb, the Honor Guard, these are some of the best people in the universe, and I'm lucky to have met them, let alone call them friends. As the day winds to an end, I realize there's no place I'd rather be. We end up walking the hallways as Caleb says the one thing we've been avoiding all day.

"So what happens to the Guardians now?"

"I don't know." I say truthfully. "There's so much going on. I don't know if any of us even want our powers back, and even if we do, I don't know how we'd get them."

"Well, whatever happens, we'll still work something out. I'll visit Earth every chance I get. We'll still be together, I promise." He says.

I want to believe it, I really do. But things will change if I don't have powers. The girls and I will get on with our own lives, and Caleb will go on with his. No matter how much we try, our worlds will eventually drift apart. But there is no way I'm going to let that happen. These are my friends, the people I love, and I refuse to lose them. And I don't care if I have to fight all of Kandrakar to do it.

"Also," he continues, "while you know I'd love for you to still be a Guardian, you don't have to be if you don't want to. I'd still love you even if you were just a normal girl. You don't have to fight."

"You know Caleb, I think you put it best when you were talking about how things had changed under Elyon's rule. We're not fighting because we have to, we're choosing to fight, because we have something worth fighting for."

He just smiles.

My name is Cornelia Hale, and I am a Guardian.


	25. Air

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 24

Air

It's not the sun that wakes me up. Nor is it my alarm clock, which has rung many times. It's the wind. It's always the wind. It seems to sense when I should wake up, and softly blows through my window just at that time. I can't think of any better alarm.

That peaceful feeling disappears as I fall out of bed with a thump. I yawn, stretch, and promptly stub my toe. I can tell already it's going to be one of those mornings where nothing goes right. Although technically, the morning is over. 11:00 a.m., man I slept in!

Hi, by the way. My name's Hay Lin. I was the Guardian of Air. Now? Not so much. You see, there's this place called Kandrakar, and this guy called Endarno, and he… You know what, just ask Taranee. She always knows what's going on. I'm usually just along for the ride.

Anyways, we've all lost our powers and I have a completely normal, non-magical day ahead of me. I can do whatever I want!

After spending a few seconds staring at my wall, I realize I have no idea what I want. Fun, I need to do something fun. It's a beautiful spring day, still to cold for the water park though. The town park? No, not much fun to do there. The girls are probably all trying to figure out what to do about our powers, so I won't bug them.

Man, this is hard. What do normal girls do to have fun? What excites them? I mean, I used to have gargoyles, and giant lizards to spice things up, what can I do to compare to that? Although, to be fair, those things were usually trying to kill me. Or eat me. Or kill me and then eat me.

I decide to head downstairs to clear my head. Maybe then I can think of something to do.

"Hay Lin, there you are!" My dad says as I enter the kitchen. "We're swamped today. We need your help!"

Helping my parents in the restaurant. That has fun written all over it. Weeeee.

As I take an order at table 5, I realize I shouldn't complain about boredom so much. Boredom is relaxing, boredom is safe, and boredom means that no one is going to get hurt. I enjoyed my time as Guardian, but I think I'm definitely ready for a normal life. Just normal problems, and the world doesn't end if I screw up. I can spend more time with Eric…

CRSSSHH

The sound CRSSSHH is not a good sound to hear when you're carrying plates full of food.

"Hay Lin!" My mom says, staring at the breakfast special that is now spread out on the kitchen floor.

"Sorry, mom, guess I wasn't paying attention." I say.

"Are you alright Hay Lin?" She asks, looking me over, "You look tired."

Okay, so my parents worry about me, a lot, but this time she may have a point. I'm super tired, no surprise really, considering all that's happened the last few days. Stress is bad for the body, and being a Guardian is one stress after another. Just another reason it's good to be human.

"Why don't you take the day off?" She says. "You look like you could use some rest."

"But don't you need help?" I ask.

"Not this badly." She replies glancing down at the broken plates.

I get the hint, and head back upstairs to my room. I don't mind it so much, since now I've thought of something to do. Spend more time with Eric. Eric Lyndon is my boyfriend, although we only seem to see each other once a week, if I'm lucky. I decide to give him a call.

"Hello?" He answers.

"Hi Eric, it's Hay Lin. Are you busy tonight?"

"No, why? Are you free for once?"

"Yep. Let's get dinner somewhere."

"Wow. But it's Sunday night. You're never free Sunday night!"

"Well, I am now. And the way it's looking, I might be free a lot of Sunday nights."

"Great! Hey, there's this restaurant I've always wanted to go to. It's called Meridian, and…"

"Meridian?" I almost scream. "It's actually called Meridian?"

"Yeah," He replies, somewhat confused, "what's so weird about that?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just a cool name, I guess."

Of course, he would have no idea why the name Meridian would be important to me.

"Whatever. So how about it? Meet you there at seven?"

"Sure" I say. "See you then!"

No sooner have I hung up the phone then it starts to ring. Once I see Irma's name, I pick it up on the first ring.

"Hey Irma, what are you doing?" I say.

"I'm bored out of my mind! Lunch at Moxie's?" she says.

Moxie's is her favorite restaurant, but a little pricey. She must be really bored if she want's to go there. Man, what's with people inviting me to restaurants today?

"You too, huh? Sure. I'll meet you there." I say.

I won't bore you with the details of our lunch, since, knowing Irma, she already told you about her getting a job.

Nothing much happens to me for the next couple of hours, which I guess is how life is supposed to be. Better get used to it. I've always been a relaxed type of person. I'm carefree and fun loving. I don't worry about a lot of things, and I kind of go with the breeze, if you'll pardon the pun. Which is why I'm just assuming that I'll never be a Guardian again. I haven't really decided if that's a good thing or a bad thing yet, it just sort of is what it is. I mean, even if all five of us suddenly decided that we desperately want our powers back, there's nothing we would be able to do anyways. So there's no sense getting worked up about something that I can't do anything about. What's meant to happen will happen. As I'm thinking about this, I find myself beginning to do some of my homework.

I don't think I ever realized this before, but time slows down when you're doing homework. Then again, I haven't actually done too much homework all year, so I might just be forgetting. It seems to take forever to get to the time when I'm meeting Eric.

The funny thing is, I'm not even all the excited for tonight's date. The past few weeks I've been dying to spend more time with Eric, and now that I actually can, I don't even care. I wasn't even that excited when Irma got her job, and that was pretty cool. It's like, you know when you've been waiting for something for a really long time, and then when it finally comes, it's never as good as you thought it would be? I've wanted a day off from the Guardians for so long, that now that I have one, I feel a let down. We've fought our fights, we've won our wars, now what? Where can I go from here?

I'm thinking about that as I stand outside the restaurant, waiting for Eric.

"Hey, you!" He says, walking up to me. "Been waiting long?"

"No." I lie. I've been here since 6:30, even though we planned to meet at 7:00. I couldn't just sit around the house any longer, so I came early.

"Good." he says. "Let's eat."

Turns out Eric called ahead and got us a reservation, so we don't have to wait long for a table. That's my Eric. I gotta say, it's pretty weird looking at the menu and seeing MERIDIAN written in fancy letters.

"So, is this your first time on Meridian?" I ask.

"On? Why, do they normally sit people on the roof?" he says, giving me a strange look.

"Oops! I mean, 'in' Meridian. You know, the restaurant."

"Yeah, first time. You?"

"Same."

Man, am I stupid today! Just because I don't have a secret identity any more doesn't mean I have to go around revealing other planets to people. The waiter is soon at our table to take our orders.

"Bonjour! My name is Pierré." The waiter says in an obviously fake accent. "What will you be having today?"

We make our orders and he scurries back into the kitchen. I almost called him Caleb as he left, but just caught myself.

"Nice weather we've been having, hmmm?" Eric says.

"Yes, really nice."

Weather? We're actually talking about the weather? That can't be a good sign. Oh well, better get used to it. After all, that is what normal people talk about.

"So how come you were available tonight?" He asks.

"Oh, no reason in particular." I lie again, "Everything just fell into place."

"Well, I'm glad it did. It's nice seeing you again."

The conversation ranges from family, to school, to the food, to the décor and back to school. I hate myself for it, but I actually want something to happen or for someone to attack. Not enough that anyone gets hurt, of course, just something to make this night more interesting. I guess I just need to get used to normal life again. Normal people don't get attacked at a restaurant, they just eat and talk.

"So where's your Grandma these days?" Eric asks. "I haven't seen her in a while. Is she alright?"

Why can't I ever give him a normal answer? Why do I always have to come up with stories? The reason I'm free tonight is actually because Endarno took away our powers. The reason he hasn't seen my Grandma is because she's in Kandrakar, probably trying to talk Endarno into giving us our powers back. But of course I can't say that.

"Oh, she's gone back to China for a couple of weeks." I say, my third lie of the night. "I'll let her know you were asking about her."

"Yeah, thanks." Eric replies. "By the way that reminds me of something. You see, my Grandpa was in the observatory the other day, and…"

Woah, that's weird. I just completely tuned out. I have no idea what Eric just said. I've got to focus on what's going on now, not the Guardians. Now, what was he talking about? His Grandpa, or something, right?

"…and then he went to the doctor, and it turns out it was just a…"

Man, that woman has a really, really pointy nose. NO! I'm going to focus! He's my boyfriend, and I will give him my full attention, which is what he deserves. I'm not going to pay any attention to the half-woman/half-parrot creature; I'm just going to listen to Eric.

"…so then the doctor brings out this big, pointy needle, and he sticks it right…"

Seriously, she could take someone's eye out with just her nose. She could probably open cans with it! HAY LIN! You will pay attention to Eric! Just five minutes, that's all you need to do! I can do this, I can do this, I can do this!

"Anyways, once they get that cleaned up, they..."

I can't do this. I'm sorry Eric, I really tried, but I can't. It's too dull, and it's too boring. I said I go with the flow, but I also said I was fun loving. How can I go from fighting evil to cleaning dishes and quiet dinners? How can that compare? I need something wild to make the quiet moments that much better. I need something more. I need the Guardians. Sure it was dangerous, and sure it was super annoying sometimes, but it was fun! It made life exciting, and worth protecting. I want to be a Guardian! I finish the last 90% of my dinner in three bites and stand up.

"Well, that was great, Eric, but I got to go."

"Now?" Eric says. "But I just started eating? Was it something I said?"

"No, Eric, it has nothing to do with you." I say, truthfully for once. I feel bad leaving him, but it's necessary.

"Then why are you leaving?"

"I wish I could tell you Eric, I really do. But even I don't fully understand it. But here's what I do know. You are the best thing that ever happened to me, and you are the single most important person in my life. But I can't be here right now. I need to be out there!"

"Out where?"

"Who knows? That's the point! That's the fun of it! Who knows where I'll go next? Understand?"

"Not in the slightest. But I do understand this. Nobody has ever made walls that could hold Hay Lin. You're right, you do need to be out there. And when you come back here, I'll be waiting."

I would have totally made out with him if it weren't for all the other people watching. Instead, I settle for one kiss on the lips, and then I'm headed for the door. I feel that familiar feeling rise again. My heart's beating with excitement. I don't know how, but we're going to do it. We're going to come back, and we're going to be better then ever! And it is going to be so much fun! Look out universe, W.I.T.C.H is coming back!

My name is Hay Lin, and I am a Guardian.

My hands are shaking as I dial Irma's number. I've already called Taranee and Cornelia, and they're both in as well.

"Irma, it's Hay Lin. Taranee, Cornelia and I have made our decisions. We want to be Guardians again."

"Awesome! Me too! Tara and Corny really said that?"

"Yep!"

"What about Will?"

"Well…"

"Well, what?"

"I tried calling Will, but she wouldn't answer. I think she's got her phone turned off. I hope she's okay."

"I'm sure she is. It's too bad though. Let's face it, without Will, we're not going anywhere. She's the heart of the team, literally."

"You're right, Irma. Like it or not, it's out of our hands."

"Now it all depends on Will."


	26. Will

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 25

Will

This is my perfect day.

I, Will Vandom, wake up and slide into the kitchen. Mom's still mad at me for missing her party, so I perfect the time-honored tradition of giving her breakfast in bed. This cheers her up because, firstly, she doesn't have to cook, and secondly because she doesn't have to eat her own cooking. All is forgiven by the time she reaches the eggs.

By lunchtime, it's pretty clear that I'm in the best mood of my entire life. I'm free! No more danger, no more fighting evil, no more Kandrakar! I can do whatever I want with my life, and no one can tell me otherwise!

I know I shouldn't be this happy. The Guardians have given me a lot, and now they're out of my life forever. Also, there's the tiny, itsy bitsy chance that Elyon is in mortal danger, but I'm sure she's fine. There are a lot of smart people in Meridian, I'm sure they'll figure something out.

I can't help myself, it's like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I have a great mom, a wonderful boyfriend, and the best friends a girl could have. It's time to give them the attention they deserve. It's time to live.

The first thing I do in my new life is to give Matt a call, and order him to have a nice, relaxing walk in the park. You hear that? Just a simple walk in the park with Matt. No monsters, no weird, half girl half spider things or giant lizards, just me and my boyfriend. Unfortunately, I also have to tell Matt what's happened, so peaceful might be overselling it.

"So that's it?" he says, once I've recapped the weeks' events. "No more Guardians! And you're okay with that?"

"Better then okay!" I reply. "This is great!"

I'm not surprised by Matt's reaction. He's always been a fan of me in the tights, for more then the obvious reasons, so I knew he'd be upset that I gave them up. Matt's always been way more adventurous then I have, it's one of the reasons I love him so much, but it can get him into trouble. It's up to me to reel him in.

"But think how much you gained from the Guardians." He says. "The girls, Caleb and Elyon, these are all people that you…"

"That I what, Matt? That I wouldn't have known? The powers didn't get my friends for me, Matt, I did. And think of all the things that I lost. Just spending time with my mom, or getting to know you better. I didn't get you because of my powers, did I?"

"No, you didn't, but…"

"Do you know how many dates we've been on? That doesn't involve us fighting evil?"

"Not a lot?"

"Not a lot."

"What about Meridian?" he says, "Phobos would still be in power if it wasn't for the Guardians."

"Hey, I'm glad we saved Elyon, I am, but that's over now. We did our part, now it's someone else's turn. Someone with training, who wants to do this."

"What if no one else can?"

I sigh. It's no use; we're both way to stubborn for this argument to ever end. And I don't want to waste this perfect day fighting with Matt. Time to bring out my secret weapon. Puppy dog eyes.

"Can't we just enjoy this one day together? Do the Guardians have to ruin this day too?" I say, stretching the limits of my eye sockets.

"Will, do you remember what I said last week at the carnival?"

"No."

He glares at me.

"What?" I say, "I lead a busy life. I can't remember every conversation I have."

He sighs, but continues.

"I said no matter what path you take, I'll be right there by your side. That's what I'm doing now. I may not agree with your choice, but I'll stand by it, to the very end."

Matt has this amazing ability of making me feel bad every time I win an argument. He's taking the high road, so now I feel like the bad guy. Which I'm totally not! I mean, this is my life; I can do what I want with it. Still though, I should say something. Something that let's him know I appreciate his support, while still not backing down from my decision.

"I appreciate your support, Matt, but I'm still not backing down from my decision."

Wow. I suck at coming up with clever responses. Doesn't matter though, nothing will stop me from being in a great mood today. We spend another hour walking through the park together. We just talk about whatever. School, friends, music, each other, you know, just ordinary conversation. I've never had more fun in my life. It's great to just be able to just talk for once.

The rest of the day is a medley of my favorite activities. I go swimming, listen to music, watch my favorite shows and convince my mom to order pizza. It's a whirlwind of Will. It's fantastic to just spend time with my mom. I can't imagine how hard it must be for her having to be a single parent, living with a daughter who has a whole different life that she doesn't even know about. I know it's been tough for me, having to lie to her all the time, but I won't have to any more. From now on, it's just pizza and board games.

"Board games!" I shout.

"Excuse me?" my mom says, somewhat surprised at my outburst.

"We haven't done a board game since I was a kid!" I say, running to the cabinet.

"That's because they're for kids. Your words, not mine."

"Well that was a stupid thing for me to say. Bored games are awesome!" I reply, grabbing a handful of boxes. "Let's see… We have Trivial Chase, Duopoly, Hatzee, oooooooh, Hungry Hungry Horses!"

"How about the Game of Living. 'Live your life like you always wanted' it says."

"I already am." I reply.

The game takes way longer then it should, mostly because we're laughing to hard. Turns out my mom is actually a lot of fun, she's just always too worried about me to show it. Now that I'm relaxed, so is she. My plastic piece is stopped half way on its run for mayor when my phone rings.

"One of the girls?" mom asks.

She hides it well, but I can tell she's afraid. Normally any time the phone rings, I have to leave to do something Guardian related. Not tonight, though. Even though Hay Lin shows up on caller I.D., I turn my phone off.

"Who cares?" I say, tossing my phone aside. "Tonight, mayor Will is going to 'life her life like she always wanted'. Come on, snake eyes!"

And that is how I have a perfect day. I've spent time with Matt, I've done all the things I don't normally get to do, and I've helped my mom relax. And most importantly, no Guardians. Just Will Vandom, and that's exactly the way it's supposed to be. When I finally go to bed, I have a huge smile on my face.

I've been asleep for a couple hours when I notice two disturbing things. First off, I'm awake. And I don't mean just awake, I mean really awake. There's none of that groggy feeling you normally get when you wake up in the middle of the night. Instead, I feel more alert then I ever have before. Secondly, and even more disturbingly, I am no longer in my room. I am surrounded by pink. Beneath, above and around me, various shades of pink. I didn't even know there were this many shades of pink. And the worst thing about it? The dominating shade of pink, the one that stands out the most, is the exact same shade as the Heart of Kandrakar.

I feel a panic run through my chest. No, no, this can't be happening. I'm a normal girl now, and normal girls don't suddenly find themselves in strange, pink universes. I'm sure I'm just dreaming. Yeah, that's it. I'll shut my eyes, and when I open them again, I'll no longer be here.

I'm still here. And now there's someone standing next to me, a very strange someone. It's a woman, but clearly not human. She has large, pitch black eyes, and appears to be missing both a nose and a chin. She has long black hair, flowing down to her waist, and pale, grey skin. She's wearing what looks to be a modified Guardian uniform.

"Hello Will." She says, "Welcome to the Heart of Kandrakar!"

"No, you see, you don't really exist." I say, trying to sound convincing. "I'm just dreaming, you see. Any second now I'll wake up, and you'll just poof, disappear."

"You're not dreaming, Will." she says with a laugh.

"Prove it!"

"I can't. But I don't think I need to." she says. "You know the truth inside you, and I don't think you're the type of person who's going to ignore the truth."

"You don't know anything about me." I say defiantly.

"Well, actually, I know a lot about you. In fact, I probably know you better then anyone." She says. "But you know nothing about me, and that hardly seems fair."

"Alright, then who are you?" I ask.

"I come from a world that no longer exists." the strange woman says.

Her voice sounds like raindrops falling on a wind chime. Seriously, that's the only way I can describe it.

"My name is X'hal, but you may call me what other earthlings called me. Holly. And I am, or was, the bearer of the Heart, as you are today. My personality was chosen to represent us because I am the best 'people person'. We thought that I would be the best choice to make you comfortable."

"I don't understand. 'We'? 'Us'? How many people are in here?" I ask.

"Ignoring you? 551."

"551?" I say, looking around as if the other 550 are about to appear.

"Yes." Holly says calmly. "All the previous bearers of the Heart."

"I don't understand." I say again.

"How much do you know about the history of the Heart, Will?" Holly asks.

"You mean like the Nymph Xin Jing and the four dragons?"

"Ah yes, that story has become more popular over the past few millennia. But I'm afraid much of it has been lost in translation."

"Wait, so there was no Nymph? No dragons?"

"No, there were. Sort of. No one outside the Heart has known the true story for centuries. Even Kandrakar has lost its records."

"Wait," I say, "you said no one outside the Heart. But you're inside the Heart. I think. Does that mean…"

"Yes, Will. I know the true story. Would you like to hear it?"

"Will it explain why you woke me up in the middle of the night?" I ask.

"No, but it will explain why there are 551 of us in here."

"Fine. Knock yourself out."

"Very well. Tens of thousands of years ago, before my people, or even yours, ever existed, the last, great universal war ended. As a symbol of peace, the surviving worlds created Kandrakar, a fortress at the center of the universe that would host the greatest minds alive. This fortress would be used to insure that no such war ever happened again. But the first elders of Kandrakar quickly realized that the fortress would need defending, so they found the greatest warrior in the universe, whose name was…"

"Xin Jing." I interrupt.

"Exactly. Except she wasn't a nymph, she was a Guardian. The first Guardian, and was the first to be given the Heart of Kandrakar. Now, normally, a Heart is the magical representation of the life force of a world. But since Kandrakar was an artificial world, its Heart was very weak. It only increased whatever abilities the bearer already had. It would make you faster, stronger, whatever. No energy bolts, no elemental powers. It's weakness also had to do a little bit with The Engine, but don't worry about that for now."

"Woah, what engine? What are you talking about?"

"Trust me, I'm sure you'll see the Engine soon enough." She says cryptically. I hate it when people do that. "For now, just focus on the Heart."

"Well just hold on a second. Xin Jing was a Guardian, and the Heart is weak. Have I got it so far?"

I'm having trouble keeping up with all this new information. It feels like I'm back in history class. I got a D in history class.

"Yes, you're keeping up nicely. I know this is hard, but bear with me. It will make sense."

"I sure hope so." I mutter.

"Now," Holly continues. "Xin Jing was an excellent Guardian, who defended the fortress from many attacks, but eventually she grew old and could no longer perform her duties. Before she died, she realized that there were many more dangers that would threaten Kandrakar, and that the Heart wasn't going to be enough. So she went to four magical beings…"

"The dragons!" I interrupt again.

"Yes." Holly says. "The dragons. She had recused them from an evil tyrant when she was younger, and they were in her debt. She asked them to make the Heart stronger. The dragons were also old, but still very powerful, and got their powers from the elements. Because of their friendship with Xin Jing, and because of their debt to her, they gave their life force to the Heart to make it stronger. That is the reason that the Guardians now have elemental powers."

"We get it from the dragons. So that part of the story was true."

"Yes. But something else happened that the dragons did not count on. Xin Jing willingly gave her own life force into the Heart as well. Not only did that make the Heart stronger, but it added a fifth element."

"Quintessence."

"Exactly. The power of life, the life that Xin Jing willingly gave to protect the fortress and all the other worlds around it."

"That would explain the dragons and Xin Jing are in here, but what about the other 546 of you?"

"Well, five life forces can only do so much. While more people were now required to fully use the Heart's power, five to be exact, the Heart was still fairly weak. But the next bearer of the Heart did the same thing as Xin Jing when she passed on. And so did the bearer after that, and the bearer after that. Every time one of them passes away, their essence enters the Heart, therefore it gets more powerful over time. It's these life forces that make the Heart so powerful. Eventually…"

I can see where this is going and I don't like it.

"Wait a second, are you saying that I'll be expected to, I don't know, give up my life force to the Heart? That I have to life in here forever?"

"Not exactly. Just as those before you, you will have to give yourself, your life energy, to the Heart. But don't think of it as living in here…"

"Forget that!" I say, my face turning as red as my hair. "If you think…"

"Please Will, it's not as bad as it sounds. It doesn't feel like living forever. You're only giving your energy, not your soul. The real Will Vandom, the true you, is free to stay with the rest of your body."

"There's no chance I'm giving any part of my self, energy or no energy, to the Heart. I don't care what you say!"

"Trust me, you're not the only person to feel that way, and we're not going to force you to make that sacrifice. Only you can make that choice. But there will come a time when you want to give that part of yourself, and you will, gladly."

I don't believe it, but I decide not to say anything. For the second time today, I've won an argument and feel bad about. I try to remind myself that Holly is not my enemy, and it's not her fault that this whole thing sucks so much. At least, I don't think it is.

"Alright," I say, "That explains who you are. You're one of the ex-Guardians who gave themselves to the Heart."

"Just their life force." Holly corrects, "The real Holly died thousands of years ago."

"Fine, whatever." This information is all very nice, but there's still one question pounding in my brain.

"Why am I here? How am I here? Isn't the Heart still in Kandrakar, blocked off from me?"

"No, not anymore." Holly says. "Not only is the Heart powered by life forces, but it is also controlled by them. The Heart is virtually sentient now."

"So are you telling me the Heart has a mind of its own? Literally?"

"To a limited extent, yes." Holly says. "You still control the Heart's energies, but we can make some decisions on our own."

"You mean the bearer of the Heart can."

"Excuse me?"

"You said that I still control the Heart, but I'm not the Heart bearer any more, someone else is. They can still control the Heart."

I'm grasping at straws. I know exactly why I'm here, and what the Heart wants, but I'm still hoping, begging I'm wrong.

"We, the Heart, have made a decision Will, and for the first time in thousands of years, we have gone against the wishes of Kandrakar. Endarno would have new Guardians. He would replace W.I.T.C.H., as you have so quaintly named yourself. This cannot be allowed to happen."

"No." I say bluntly. It's really the only thing I can say at this point. I'm tired of arguments, I'm tired of explanation, and I'm tired of the Guardians. They, we, were amazing, but I want my own life now.

"What?"

"No. I won't do it."

"Will…"

"No. And I don't have to explain myself. Why does it have to be me? I'm no one special!"

"Will, you may find this hard to believe, but there is no one in the universe more special then you. You are the only one who can do this. You and your four friends are the only ones who can fight these fights. You, all of you, are special, and the universe needs you. The universe needs W.I.T.C.H."

"Why?" I ask. "The universe has been fine for millions of years without us, why do they need us now?"

"Something is happening." Holly says. For the first time, she seems nervous, uneasy. "Something that has not happened for thousands and thousands of years. We don't know what, but it's big and it's bad, and only you can stop it."

"I still say no." I reply. "I don't know who you think I am, but I'm not special. I'm just an ordinary girl from Heatherfield, who likes swimming and frogs and hates math. That's it. No prophesies, no forehead scars, no destinies. I don't save universes. I'm not the chosen one."

"This is not an option, Will. This is not some after school club. If you do not take this responsibility, people will die."

Up to this point, Holly has been fairly kind and soft-spoken, but that's changed. She's passionate, on the verge of anger. But I'm not giving up without a fight.

"Who? Who will die?" I ask.

"Does it matter? Are some lives more important to you then others?"

"I suppose not, but you know what I mean."

"Fine, if it helps, there is a chance everyone will die. Not just Heatherfield, not just Earth, but everyone. That is how dire this threat is. Your friends, your boyfriend, even your mother. All of it, gone. And their best chance of survival, perhaps their only chance at survival, is if you retake your role as Guardian."

So that's what it comes down too. That's why I have to make the choice that I knew I would make the moment I found out I was in the Heart. Not because of my friends. Not because it makes me a better person. Not because I need to be, and not because I want to be. Because I have to be. Because, like it or not, that's who I am.

Holly must realize the choice I've made because I'm suddenly back in my bed. A quick glance to the right confirms that the Heart has returned and is glowing brightly.

Once again, I find I can't sleep very well. Too much information going through my head leaves me tossing and turning for hours. This is starting to become a habit.

When I wake up Monday morning, I'm not in a bad mood, I'm just determined. For the first time in what feels like months, I know exactly what to do. I'm not going to complain anymore, I'm just going to do it. No other option. It's actually quite relaxing. I quietly eat my breakfast and quietly get through my school day. The girls are excited, and we agree to meet after school at the Silver Dragon to discuss our plans.

And so, around four o'clock, the five of us are once more sitting around the Silver Dragon basement. I'm not surprised to hear that the other girls still want to be Guardians. When I look at them, I can't imagine them being anything else.

"What about you, Will?" Hay Lin asks.

"We can't do it without you, Will." Irma adds.

I nod. She's right, they can't. And they shouldn't have to.

"I had a visitor last night." I say slowly.

"Who?" Taranee asks.

I carefully reach into my bag, and slowly pull out the Heart of Kandrakar. I have to admit, despite all the emotion I'm feeling, I very much enjoyed watching their jaws drop. I fell very cool, slowly holding it out for them to see. All it needed was dramatic music and fancy lighting and it would have been just like a movie. You should have seen it.

"Where… How?" is all Cornelia can manage

I tell them all about what happened last night. The true origin of the Heart, the mysterious threat and how we are the right Guardians. The only Guardians there should be.

"So, what now?" Taranee asks.

"You know I don't want to do this." I say. "You know I don't want to be a Guardian, but that doesn't matter any more. There are people out there that want to hurt us. That want to take away our friends and our families and everything that we hold dear. So we're going to stop them. Because that's our job. Because that's what we do, better then anyone else. We're more then just a team, we're more then just friends. We are W.I.T.C.H., and it's time to remind everyone just how amazing that is.

And as I stand up in the center of the Silver Dragon's basement, Heart in hand and friends by my side, everything just feels right. Irma Lair, Taranee Cook, Cornelia Hale, Hay Lin and Will Vandom, ready to head into another adventure. And that's just the way it should be.

"Water!"

"Fire!"

"Earth!"

"Air!"

"Quintessence!"

I shout it in to the sky, and I make sure that everyone knows we're back for good.

"Guardians unite!"

My name is Will Vandom, and I am a Guardian.


	27. I Spy

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 26

I Spy

Meridian

The Guardians, reunited at last, stepped out of the fold and into the Meridian mess hall, where the Honor Guard were having lunch. The girls expected massive celebration due to their return. They expected much clapping and shouting, and possibly a feast. What they got was much less impressive.

"Hey girls." Vathek said between mouthfuls.

"That's it?" Irma said. "'Hey girls?' What about, 'Oh, thank goodness, the Guardians have returned! Now we're saved!' What happened to that?"

"Meh." Raythor said. "We all knew you were coming back."

"Yeah." Caleb said. "In fact, I'm kinda surprised it took so long."

"Although I must admit, I am somewhat curious to know how you got the Heart back." Julian added. "How'd you manage that?"

The girls sat down and were given food while they explained to the Honor Guard what had happened over the past two days. The Guardians were all actually quite happy that there was not much fanfare over their return. While they were excited about being Guardians once more, they were also very tired, and just wanted to get back to work. They had just finished their explanations when Buchan walked in.

"Oh, hello Guardians." He said, grabbing a plate.

"Um, should he be seeing us?" Taranee asked.

"Why not?"

"Well, doesn't he work for Kandrakar? I mean, isn't he going to tell them that we got the Heart back?"

"Oh, that." Drake said. "Nah, you don't have to worry. Buchy's not big on reports."

"I find paperwork tedious and unproductive." Buchan added. "Besides, I'm sure Kandrakar knows the Heart is missing. Having your greatest weapon suddenly disappear isn't something that goes by unnoticed."

"Well, you and 'Buchy' seem to be getting along quite well." Will said to Caleb.

"Yeah, we're pretty fond of him around here." Caleb said, giving Buchan a playful punch on the arm.

"The feeling is mutual." Buchan said. "Kandrakar is… not the place it used to be. Rules and regulations have stopped me from doing my job the way I'm supposed to. But on Meridian, there is a sense of freedom. They don't care what I do or how I do it, as long as it helps the greater good. It's very freeing. And I have a nickname! I've never had a nickname!"

The excitement in Buchan's voice did not seem to match his age

"And most importantly, he actually cares." Caleb said. "And that's rare these days, especially from Kandrakar. So we can't help but like him."

"So if Kandrakar knows we have the Heart," Will said, "What are they going to do?"

"Well they won't be happy, I can tell you that." Vathek said.

"That's putting it mildly." Buchan added, taking a bite of his meal. "Kandrakar always has back up Guardians in mind, in case anything happens to the first group. I'm sure Endarno's already got them ready to go."

"Wait, you're really helping us?" Taranee asked. "I know you like Meridian, but you've worked for Kandrakar for, what, years? Decades?"

"Centuries, actually." Buchan replied. "And the way I see it, it's only a matter of time before the whole lot of you try to take Kandrakar on alone, which will only result in failure, and possibly death. But if I give you some information, then you at least have a slim chance of survival. So all I'm really doing is what's best for Meridian, by trying to protect their military leaders."

"Well, thanks." Will said.

"Um, can we go back to that whole 'slim chance of survival' thing?" Irma added.

"Kandrakar is a fortress of peace, but that doesn't mean they're not ready for war." Buchan said. "There's no chance that the five of you, even with the Honor Guards' help, could hope to defeat all of it in a fight."

"So we'll have to make sure were not taking on all of it, just Endarno." Will said.

"If you could get the elders to support you and not Endarno, not an easy task by the way, it would make things easier." Buchan said.

"What about these new Guardians, what are they going to be like?" Hay Lin asked.

"I'm not sure," Buchan said, "but I would expect them to be much more ruthless and cutthroat then the five of you. Endarno would have hand picked them, expecting you to attack."

"I don't really care about defeating Kandrakar in a fight." Cornelia said. "I just want Elyon back."

"We all do." Caleb said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "But we don't even know where she is. It would be almost impossible to get her."

"What about you, Buchan?" Julian asked. "Do you know where they would hold her?"

"No." Buchan replied. "I had no idea what Endarno's plans for Elyon were, and I certainty don't know where they would keep her. I doubt many people do. Only someone very close to Endarno would know that."

"Hay Lin, what about your Grandma?" Raythor asked. "Hasn't she said anything?"

"I haven't heard anything from Grandma since Elyon was taken." Hay Lin said.

"I suspect that Kandrakar has blocked any communication with Meridian or Earth." Buchan said. "Even I haven't heard anything from them. Besides, Endarno was a very private person, and he did not see eye to eye with Yan Lin. There's no chance that she would be able to tell us anything even if we could talk to her."

"If only we knew someone close to Endarno." Caleb said. "But we don't."

"Actually, that isn't entirely true." Came a voice from the doorway. "Caleb turned to find Aldarn standing behind him.

"Aldarn? What are you talking about?" Caleb asked.

"Caleb, Gaurdians," Aldarn said, "there's someone I'd like you to meet."

Kandrakar

An unfathomable distance away from Meridian, sat Elyon, the displaced Queen. During her time on Kandrakar, she had not been educated, as Kandrakar had said, nor had she been tortured or experimented on as the Honor Guard and the Guardians feared. Instead she had been doing, well, nothing. She had been put in what could not exactly be called a cell, but what could not exactly be called comfortable either. The room was quite large, but completely empty except for a chair and a bed.

Elyon had inspected every inch of the room and found no means of escape. Her only visitor had been a nameless elder who delivered her meals. For Elyon, the isolation was about the worst thing Kandrakar could have done. The days stretched endlessly, and all she could do to pass the time was contemplate her mistakes, and wonder about the future. What did Kandrakar want? Why go to all the trouble of capturing her, if they were just going to ignore her?

She was just about to start pounding on the door when it opened and a small, elf like creature appeared. She recognized him only from the Guardians descriptions. His name, she remembered, was Minnio.

Meridian

"There's someone I'd like you to meet." Aldarn said.

"Aldarn, what are you talking about?" Hay Lin asked, echoing the thoughts of the room.

Aldarn stepped to the side, and reveled a small person standing behind him.

"Minnio?" Will said, instinctively clenching her fist.

"You know this guy?" Raythor asked, getting to his feet.

"Yeah, we know him." Irma replied.

"Actually, you've never met this person in your life." Aldarn said.

"Yes we have." Taranee said. "That's Minnio. He's like, Endarno's best friend."

"Oh, good, that means it's working." Aldarn said.

"Okay, this makes about as much sense as a square wheel." Irma said. "Aldarn, what are you talking about?"

"The person you see beside me is Minnio. The real Minnio." Aldarn said.

"Hello. Minnio is pleased to meet all of you at last." Minnio said.

"Uh huh." Will said, eyeing the small man suspiciously.

"Minnio is, was, a Kandrakar elder, and had been so for many years." Aldarn said.

"Really?" Cornelia said. "But we only saw you for the first time a couple weeks ago."

"There are thousands of elders in Kandrakar." Minnio said. "You only meet a small fraction of them."

Cornelia frowned, but said nothing.

"Shortly after Nerissa attacked Kandrakar with the Knights of Destruction, Minnio came to Meridian." Aldarn continued. "Caleb and Elyon were doing they're usual job of saving the universe while I was left at the castle, so I was the one who talked to him."

"Minnio joined Kandrakar to help ensue peace in the universe." Minnio said. "Minnio's people are pacifists by nature, and we abhor violence of any kind. Minnio had hoped that Kandrakar would also follow this code of peace, but lately the fortress seems to be only involved in wars and invasions. Minnio ended up physically fighting to protect himself. It was unbearable."

"Basically, Minnio wanted to defect." Aldarn said. "He no longer wanted to be a part of Kandrakar, and he came to us for help."

"And obviously you gave him help. Without telling either me or Elyon." Caleb said.

"That's true. Because I saw an opportunity." Aldran said. "Kandrakar has always been a question mark. They are incredibly powerful, but we don't really know anything about them. I wasn't confortable with that, and I'm guessing you aren't either."

Caleb didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. His expression told everyone that Aldarn was right.

"So what did you do?" Will asked.

"I replaced Minnio with a spy." Aldarn said.

"What?" Caleb said. "You sent a spy into Kandrakar?"

"Yes," Minnio said, "and although Minnio was not thrilled with the idea, it was the only way that Aldarn would allow Minnio to stay in Meridian."

"How could you not tell any of us about this?" Vathek said.

"I wanted too, believe me." Aldarn said. "But Minnio informed me that Kandrakar forbids any mental communication."

"It's true." Taranee said.

The Guardians had found that the hard way, when a telepathic conversation had been heard by Endarno, leading to Himerish's removal from power.

"If you had gone to Kandrakar knowing about the spy, you would have started thinking about it strongly enough for the elders to hear. The same goes for you, Guardians. I couldn't tell anyone who would potentially go to Kandrakar."

"He makes sense." Cornelia said.

"I know." Caleb replied. "And right now, it may be our only hope of getting Elyon back. If this spy can tell us where she is and what she's doing there, it would make our lives a lot easier."

"Wouldn't Kandrakar be able to detect that someone had replaced Minnio?" Walli asked. "I don't know them that well, but they don't seem the type to allow a spy in their midst."

"He's got a point." Irma added.

"You know the Mage ring?" Aldarn said.

"Yeah, we lost it right after Nerissa was defeated." Caleb said. "Oh…"

"You used the Mage ring?" Hay Lin said.

"It worked for Nerissa when she pretended to be the Mage." Aldarn said. "Why couldn't it work for us?"

"So we know why and how," Julian said, "now we just need to know who."

"Yeah." Caleb added. "Who did you replace Minnio with? Who's the spy?"

Aldarn smiled sheepishly.

"Who do we know that's small, talks in third person, and is really good at being in places he's not supposed to be?"

Caleb thought about this for a moment and then laughed.

"You know when you put it that way, it almost sounds like…"

Caleb's smile disappeared.

"You didn't. Aldarn please tell me you didn't!"

"I did."

"You replaced Minnio with…"

Kandrakar

Elyon glared at Minnio as he carefully closed the door behind him. She was then surprised when he ran towards her and started tugging on her sleeve.

"C'mon Queenie! We have to go!" He said.

"What are you talking about?" Elyon said, pulling her arm away.

"Sorry, forgot about Mage ring." the man said.

Elyon furrowed her brow. Mage ring? How did Kandrakar get the Mage ring? And why does Minnio's voice sound so familiar?

Minnio removed the Mage ring from his finger and the glamor around him vanished. Her jaw dropped as Minnio's smooth pale features were replaced by wrinkly green skin that Elyon found all too familiar.

"Blunk?"


	28. Discount Retailer

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 27

Discount Retailer

Kandrakar

Elyon stared at the creature in front of her.

"Blunk?"

"Yep."

"You were Minnio?"

"Yep. Blunk spy! And now Blunk action hero! Ha ha!"

Elyon continued to stare at Blunk.

"Oh, I can't wait to hear Caleb explain this one."

Meridian

"Blunk? You chose Blunk?"

"Yes, now stop saying that!"

"Why Blunk?" Hay Lin asked.

"We were training him to be a spy after we took down Phobos." Caleb said, rubbing his brow.

"Remember how desperate he was to help?" Taranee said.

"Like him or not," Aldarn said, "He is a good smuggler, and he was eager to learn. I didn't have much to do after Phobos was defeated, so I started giving Blunk lessons. Teaching him the tricks of the trade, so to speak. He was a natural."

"Couldn't you have started him out with something easier then Kandrakar?" Raythor asked.

"I wanted to, but then Minnio showed up and the opportunity was to good to pass up. So I gave him the Mage ring and sent him off."

"Well it's a good thing you did." Will said. "He's out best hope right now."

Kandrakar

Elyon and Blunk, who had put the Mage ring back on and now once again looked like Minnio, moved through the Kandrakar hallways, making sure not to be seen. Blunk led the way, while Elyon could only helplessly follow. It was making her quite uneasy.

"Blunk, do you know what you're doing?" she asked.

"Blunk know Kandrakar like back of hand."

"Good."

"Of course, back of Blunk's hand now looks like Minnio's…"

Elyon sighed. Although she would never admit it, she was glad that Blunk was there and that they were on the move. She was sick of always sitting and waiting for people to rescue her. It was time she did something on her own, and saved herself.

Blunk did indeed know Kandrakar quite well, and navigated the two of them through the labyrinth of corridors without being seen.

"Blunk where are we going?" Elyon whispered.

"The Cathedral of Converse." Blunk whispered back.

"The what?"

"Big room where we contact home. Kandrakar have funny names for everything. It weird."

"I thought Endarno blocked communications." Elyon said, quickly changing the conversation back to the current situation. "We're not going to be able to talk to anyone on Meridian."

"Don't worry." Blunk replied. "Blunk know how to disable jamming device. Blunk super spy!"

"Shhhhh!"

"Sorry."

"So let me see if I've got this right." Elyon said. "We get to this Chamber of whatever, disable the jamming device, contact Meridian, and they pick us up?"

"That plan!" Blunk replied.

The unlikely pair successfully made their way to the Chamber of Converse, narrowly avoiding detection multiple times. The Chamber was a large, dark and almost empty room. The walls were lined with what looked to Elyon like large television screens. A large glowing sphere of energy in the center provided the room with light. A small, vase like device below the sphere was producing a cage of energy that kept the sphere contained.

"There." Blunk said, pointing to the device, "That what stop screens from working. That what stop us from talking with Meridian!"

"Great." Elyon said. "Let's see what I…"

"I thought I might find you here!" came a voice from behind Elyon.

She spun to find Endarno entering the room, a scowl on his face.

Elyon looked around her, but found no means of escape. The room had only one exit and Endarno was blocking it.

"Oracle, thank goodness you're here!" Blunk said. "I had just found her, and was about to alert you!"

Elyon shot Blunk a confused look, and then quickly caught on to his plan. He still looked like Minnio, and to Endarno, he was. That was quick thinking, she thought. Whoever taught him did his job well.

"Excellent work Minnio." Endanro said, oblivious to the deception. "I found your cell empty, Elyon, and assumed you'd call for help."

"And you came personally to get me." Elyon replied. "How sweet."

"I have always believed that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself." Endarno said. "Why trust elders when I can handle it without error?"

"Well, someone's pretty sure of themselves." Elyon replied.

"And as for you Elyon," Endarno continued, "I expected more from you. I give you shelter, feed you, bear you no ill will, and yet still you rebel. Why?"

"I am not your pet." Elyon said through gritted teeth. "You ask me why I rebel? I ask you, why am I here? What makes me so important that you go to all this trouble to capture me, then do nothing with me once I'm here?"

Much to Elyon's surprise, Endarno laughed.

"You think this is about you?" He said. "Elyon my dear, you are of such little consequence to me, you might as well be a speck of dust. I dabble with powers and fates much larger then yours. My plans are of…"

WHAM!

While Endarno had been talking to Elyon, Blunk had snuck behind Endarno and used the screen like devices to climb the wall. Once he was above and behind Endarno, he had leapt from the wall, crashing down hard on the back of Endarno's head. Both Oracle and passling hit the ground hard, but only Blunk got back to his feet.

"Warrior Blunk to the rescue!" Blunk shouted triumphantly, standing over the fallen body of Endarno.

"Well done Blunk." Elyon said with a smile. "Although this does put us on a bit of a timeline. Endarno's going to wake up in a couple of minutes, and I'd prefer not to be here when he does. You sure you know how to get these screens working again?"

"Of course." Blunk said, walking towards the vase-like object in the center of the room.

He walked around the object several times, analyzing it for any weaknesses. Then, just as Elyon was beginning to get nervous, he gave the object a sharp kick. It fell over and rolled harmlessly into the corner. The sphere of energy shed it's restricting prison and expanded to greater size. Slowly, tendrils of energy wandered from the sphere and connected to the many screens.

"Great, now what?" Elyon said, tapping on one of the screens.

As she touched the screen, a beam of light shone down on her from above, illuminating the spot on which she stood.

"Um, Blunk?"

"Don't worry, it always do that. Just think of Meridian, and poof!"

Elyon wasn't exactly sure what 'poof' meant, but she decided to risk it. She closed her eyes and thought of Meridian. When she opened them again, she found herself hovering over the throne room of Meridian. The room was empty except for a small, older man cleaning the floors.

"Uh, hello?" Elyon said.

From the janitors' point of view, Elyon's disembodied head had suddenly appeared above him. For anyone else, this might be unsettling, but this man had worked at the castle for 25 years, even when Phobos was ruler. There was nothing that could surprise him anymore.

"Oh, hello." He said calmly. "I suppose you want Caleb and the others. I'll go get them."

"Oh, uh, thanks." Elyon's head replied. "That's very nice of you."

The man sauntered off and a few seconds later, the Honor Guard, followed by the Guardians rushed into the room.

"Elyon!" Caleb and Cornelia shouted in unison.

"Hi everyone!" Elyon said. Then she noticed the Guardians.

"Girls! You got your wings back!"

"Yep, we're back and ready to rescue you!" Irma said.

"Actually, I've done that on my own, thank you very much." Elyon replied.

"Yeah, where are you?" Hay Lin asked. "And what's with the glowing head thing?"

"Yeah, no offense, but I think I get to ask the first question here." Elyon replied. She moved to the side and Blunk's head appeared next to her.

"What's he doing here?" She asked.

"Don't look at me." Caleb said, backing up. "This was all Aldran's idea."

"Is this true?" Elyon asked Aldarn.

"Well, yes. It was my idea." Aldarn said.

"Well it's a good idea." Elyon replied.

"What?" Caleb and Aldarn said at the same time.

Even Aldarn had to admit that sending Blunk to Kandrakar was risky to say the least. He had expected to be chewed out by Elyon, not congratulated.

"He saw a potential threat in Kandrakar, and he did something about it." Elyon said. "That's exactly the kind of forward thinking we need."

Aldarn turned and gave Caleb a big smile.

"See? Told you it was a good idea." he said.

Caleb rolled his eyes.

"Are you okay Elyon?" Cornelia asked, ignoring the men beside her.

"Yeah, I'm fine Cornelia." Elyon replied.

"What did they do to you?" Taranee asked.

"Nothing. That's the thing. They didn't even talk to me. They just left me in some room."

"Strange." Will said. "Why bring you to Kandrakar if they do nothing with you?"

"I don't know." Elyon replied. "But I think Endarno's up to something. He caught us disabling the jamming device. He was saying something about his plans before Blunk knocked him out. It sounds pretty big."

"Say that one more time." Irma said. "Blunk knocked Endarno out?"

"Yep. Right in the back of the head." Elyon replied.

"Blunk action hero!" Came Blunk's voice from beside Elyon.

"Which reminds me, we better get out of here soon, before he wakes up."

"Queen Elyon," Buchan interrupted, "I assume that you removed the device in the Chamber of Converse that was stopping us from communicating with Kandrakar?"

"Um, who are you?" Elyon said, eyeing Buchan suspiciously.

"He's a friend." Caleb said. "Trust me."

"Good enough for me." Elyon replied. "Yeah, we removed the device. Or at least kicked it over."

"That device is the same one that stops travel to and from Kandrakar. The Guardians should be able to use the Heart to reach Kandrakar."

"Good." Will said. "I think it's time we had a nice long chat with Endarno."

"You guys coming?" Irma said, turning to the Honor Guard.

"You know we would like to be there," Julian said, "but Kandrakar might not take kindly to Meridian forces attacking. They could retaliate with an attack on us, and Meridian does not want to get in a war with Kandrakar."

"Well," Aldarn said, "I am the official head of the Meridian military. And as such, I can order you not to go to Kandrakar. But if you were to disobey that order, like you always do, then Meridian would no longer be responsible for your actions. That way, if Kandrakar gets mad, they would only kill you and not us."

"Good." Caleb said. "I think."

"Guardians, there is a hallway right below the Chamber that Elyon is currently in. Do you know it?" Buchan asked.

"Big, tall and lots of columns? Yeah, we we're in there when Nerissa attacked."

"Excellent. Elyon, head to that hallway, it would be a good spot for you to meet up with the others." Buchan said.

"Got it." Elyon said. "Girls, Endarno's starting to stir, so I'm heading out. Good luck."

"You too." Will replied.

"So, what's the plan?" Irma said once Elyon's head had disappeared.

"I'll fold the Honor Guard to Elyon." Will began. "Get her back to Meridian as quickly as you can. With any luck, no one will even know you were there."

"Sounds good." Caleb said, drawing his sword.

"What about the five of you?" Raythor asked.

"We go after Endarno. We need to make sure this doesn't happen again." Will replied.

"Well? What are we waiting for?" Cornelia asked.

Will smiled, and opened two folds. In a flash of blue, the Guardians and the Honor Guard were back in Kandrakar.


	29. Double Vision

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 28

Double Vision

Kandrakar

The Guardians stepped through the portal and into the Kandarkar Council room. Their arms were raised, ready for battle. What the found instead was,

"Nobody? There's nobody here?"

Not only was the room empty, but it was also flat. Normally the room was surrounded by rows of seats, but they had been lowered to the ground to create a large, round, empty room.

"I don't like this." Taranee said. "I think Endarno was ready for us. Will, we should…"

Before Taranee could finish her thought, slots in the wall slid open, to reveal an army of armored soldiers. They entered the room one by one until they surrounded the girls.

"Hey, these are the same guys that took Elyon." Hay Lin said.

"They're called White Knights." Came a voice from above.

The girls looked up to find Endarno standing high above them on a floating platform.

"Each one was designed to be as strong as a Guardian. One is fierce. Five are mighty. But the twenty that you see before you? Unstoppable."

Will quickly realized that they had walked into a trap. She tried to buy some time to think of a plan.

"What do you want Endarno?" Will said.

"That's Oracle to you, girl." Enarno growled back. "And what I want is to never see the five of you again. So give me the Heart, or face the consequences."

"I hope you got the extended warranty on these Knights, cause we're about to turn them into tin cans!" Irma said.

Endarno sighed.

"I tried, I really did." he said. "But you had to be stubborn. You had to fight. Very well, to battle!"

While the Guardians geared for war, the Honor Guard gathered in a familiar hallway, waiting for the arrival of their Queen. They did not have to wait long, as she and Blunk soon ran down the hall towards them.

"Elyon! Are you alright?" Caleb said, checking Elyon over for any signs of damage.

"I'm fine." Elyon said, brushing Caleb aside. "How's Meridian?"

"It's doing well." Julian said.

"Just wait until you meet Buchan." Darke added. "You'll like him."

"I see you've still got your nose for trouble." Raythor said to Blunk.

Blunk looked up at Raythor with one raised eyebrow.

"Blunk can't remember, is he good guy or bad guy?"

"The jury's still out on that one." Vathek said, but there was no edge to his voice.

Vathek still did not fully trust Raythor, and he wasn't sure he ever would, but he did respect him, and for now, that would have to do.

"Let's get out of here." Caleb said. "Before anyone sees us."

"Caleb, wait!" came a voice from behind, telling Caleb that it was too late to leave unnoticed. His fears were put to rest, however, when he saw Yan Lin walking towards them.

"Yan Lin. How did you know we were here?" Elyon asked.

"I know you all pretty well." Yan Lin said. "One I had heard of Elyon's escape, and based on what I know about the situation, I guessed that you would come here to retrieve Elyon. That is why I requested to search this area alone."

"Why don't you want us to leave?" Tynar asked.

"Because you must not return to Meridian. Not yet." Yan Lin said. "This is still something you must do."

"This better be important." Vathek said.

"It is." Yan Lin replied. "The fate of the Guardians depends on it."

Meanwhile, the Guardians were in the middle of a heated battle with the White Knights. A fight they were losing. While the Knights were slow and had no ranged attacks, they were unrelenting and seemingly indestructible. And it was clear to the girls that the knights were given no orders to have mercy, as they did on Meridian. Any attack the Knights made was aimed to kill, and it was only a matter of time before one of the strikes landed. The fight had gone on for several minutes now, and was taking its toll on the Guardians.

"They're wearing us out." Hay Lin said.

"Yeah, if one of you smart people want to come up with an idea, now would be the time!" Irma added, watching a jet of water slam into a Knight with no effect.

"I got nothing." Will said, firing a lighting bolt into a crowd of Knights. "Taranee?"

"Well, there is something I been thinking about…" Taranee said, thinking. "But it's going to take a lot of teamwork."

"Just tell us what to do!" Hay Lin shouted.

Taranee eyed Endarno, still on his platform. She would have to be careful with her orders, as too much information would alert Endarno to her plan.

"Okay, Irma, I need you to stand in the middle of the room and be bait. Will, you, and I need to keep the Knights contained. Make sure none of them get too far towards the edge."

"Got it." Irma said. "Wait, what? Bait?"

"Just do it Irma." Hay Lin said.

Irma continued to grumble as she flew towards the center of the room.

"Try to look more helpless!" Tarnaee shouted down.

"Geez, you want me to start crying too?" Irma shouted up.

As the Knights moved in on Irma, Taranee created a ring of fire around them, stopping any retreat. Will forced any stragglers closer towards the center. Endarno glared at the group, but said nothing.

"I hope the end of your plan is better then the beginning." Irma said, blasting back a Knight. The Knights were getting closer and closer to Irma now, and she was running out of space to move.

"Now, Irma! Fly!" Taranee said at the last second.

Irma happily obeyed, and shot into the sky. The Knights were now crowded in the center of the room.

"Cornelia, seal them in! Four walls and a roof, but leave a small hole at the top."

Cornelia did as she was told, and soon the Knights were encased in the stone walls.

"That won't hold them for long." Cornelia said.

"It doesn't have to." Taranee said. "Hay Lin, remove all the air in that chamber, as quickly as you can."

Hay Lin shrugged, but obeyed. She used her powers to begin sucking the air out through the small hole left in the top of chamber.

"Taranee, what are you doing?" Will asked.

"Testing a theory." Taranee replied. "Remember when Vathek hit a Knight and it sounded hollow? I'm guessing it's also airtight."

"So?"

"So, Hay Lin is creating a vacuum inside the chamber. Now, if you put a balloon inside a vacuum, it explodes because of lack of pressure. The air inside the balloon expands until it bursts. YouTube it, it's pretty cool. I'm guessing that the Knights, which are just big, metal balloons, are going to do the same thing. The trapped air inside the suits of armor is going to expand until they pop."

No sooner had Taranee said this then a loud popping noise could be heard from inside the Chamber. This continued for a few moments as all the suits burst, at which point there was silence.

"Okay Hay Lin, that should do it."

Hay Lin lowered her arms and slowly flew to the ground, where she dropped on her knees.

"Hay Lin, are you alright?" Irma asked.

"Just tired. Removing all that air, and keeping it out, is more then I've ever had to do."

"Well it worked." Will said as Cornelia lowered the walls. "All the Knights are gone."

As the Guardians surveyed the wreckage of the Knights, the Honor Guard, Elyon and Blunk circled Yan Lin.

"What are you talking about? What going to happen to the Guardians?" Caleb asked.

"Endarno knew the girls would come." Yan Lin said. "And he has prepared for them. Kandrakar's motto is 'commitment to peace', but that does not mean they aren't prepared for war. First, he will send out the White Knights. I believe you met them on Meridian."

"Yeah, wasn't a big fan." Elyon said.

"But those things were way more powerful then we were." Walli said. "I don't think we'll be much use in a fight."

"No, there is nothing you can do to help the Guardians defeat the Knights. They are on their own against them." Yan Lin said. "The Knights are powerful, but I believe the Guardians will still find a way to prevail."

"They always seem to, don't they?" Raythor said. He had seen this first hand many times.

"So if we can't fight the Knights, then what do you need us for?" Vathek asked.

"Wait, you said the Knights were first." Elyon said. "What's second?"

"Second is something much, much worse then the Knights." Yan Lin said.

"What?"

"Second, Endarno will send out the Guardians."

Back in the Council Room, Endarno began to clap from his platform.

"Well done, girls." He said. "I was wondering how you would defeat the Knights."

"Your game's over, Endarno." Will said. "We've won."

"That's Oracle." Endarno said. "And you have not won, for my game has just begun. Girls?"

Before the Guardians could react, five figures teletranported into the Council Room, surrounding W.I.T.C.H from all sides. As the figures came into view, Will could see that each of their opponents were women, and was dressed in a uniform similar to that of the Guardians.

"The new and improved Guardians." Endarno said. "They will take the Heart from you, Will. I'd prefer if it wasn't from your cold, dead hands, but it looks like I don't have much choice, do I?"

Caleb gave Yan Lin a puzzled look.

"The Guardians? The Guardians are going to fight the Guardians? I must have missed something here." He said.

"Within hours of Will giving up the Heart," Yan Lin began, "Enarno had appointed new Guardians. But while W.I.T.C.H had been chosen for their compassion, these new Guardians have been chosen for their fighting skills alone."

"But the new Guardians are just replacements, right?" Drake said. "I mean, our girls are the real deal. My money would still be on W.I.T.C.H any day."

"You are forgetting two important things." Yan Lin said. "Firstly, our girls will be exhausted after defeating the White Knights. This gives the advantage to Endarno's Guardians."

"Hold on a second." Elyon interrupted. "If Will has the Heart, what's powering the other Guardians?"

"That's the second thing." Yan Lin said. "Once the Heart disappeared, many thought that that would be the end of Endarno's Guardians. Instead, he took more drastic measures. The new Guardians are not powered by the Heart of Kanrdrakar, but the Engine."

The Guardians backed towards each other as their replacements advanced on them. One of the new Guardians stepped forward. She was tall, lean and muscular. A pure athlete. She had short, blue hair, and cat like features, such as pointed ears and claw like nails on her hands and feet.

"My name is Orube." She said. "And I am the leader of the Guardians of Kandrakar. Relinquish the Heart or we will take it by force."

Will looked around at the other four women surrounding them. All of them were taller and stronger then any of the members of W.I.T.C.H. were. They were also strikingly more alien, and clearly from no world the girls had yet visited.

"She's got some nerve." Irma muttered.

"Just like we did with Nerissa's Guardians." Will said. "Switch elements. Fire against water, Earth against air and so on. Ready?"

But the girls were not allowed to answer that question, for Orube began attacking. The fact that their enemies attacked first came as no surprise to the girls, but what did surprise them was the nature of the attack. Orube had not attacked with any elemental powers. They had expected a lighting bolt, or at the very least a fireball, but instead, Orube had fired a blast of pure golden energy, unlike any attack the girls had ever seen.

W.I.T.C.H flew into the air and were quickly followed by their foes. The girls tried to mount a counter attack, but were constantly forced to dodge energy beams.

"What is this?" Cornelia said. "What happened to the elements?"

"Who cares?" Irma replied. "Just keep dodging!"

One of the beams sailed over Hay Lin's head and almost shattered the wall behind her.

"Wow, these things are strong!" She said, staring at the scorch mark behind her.

"Will, these Guardians and stronger and tougher then we are, and they're not going to play nice." Taranee said.

"I know." Will said. "Girls, I think we may be in a lot of trouble."

Elyon gave Yan Lin a confused look.

"The Engine? What Engine?"

"Engine bad news." Blunk said. "Very bad news!"

"Blunk is correct, I'm afraid." Yan Lin said. "The Engine is what powers Kandrakar. It's what allows us to do everything, from communicating with other worlds to lighting our rooms. It's the single most powerful energy source in the universe!"

"And it's powering these replacements Guardians?" Walli asked.

"Yes." Yan Lin replied.

"But if it has that much power, then the Guardians, the real Guardians, will be no match for them!" Caleb said.

"That's true." Yan Lin replied. "W.I.T.C.H will eventually be defeated by these new Guardians, but that's not all."

"There's more?"

"Yes. The Engine has far too much power to be controlled by five women alone. Soon it will burn out their minds and bodies, with disastrous results."

"Then we've got to stop the connection." Vathek said. "We have to depower these new Gaurdians."

"Yes." Yan Lin replied. "For if you don't, both sets of Guardians will die."


	30. True Colors

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 29

True Colors

Kandrakar

The ten Guardians flew around the modified council room like mosquitoes. The air was filled with energy beams and elemental attacks. The original Guardians, W.I.T.C.H, had not expected their replacements to attack with pure energy, and were having a difficult time adjusting. The replacement Guardians, on the other hand, were born warriors, and had sensed their advantage and were pressing it strongly.

Cornelia had been backed up by one of her enemies, and was only able to defend her self with stone walls, that broke on the first blast.

"Will, we're getting our butts kicked!" She shouted over the sound of breaking stone, "We need to do something!"

"And make it quick!" Irma added. She too was on the defensive.

It was clear to all of them that this was not a fight they were winning. Not only were the new Guardians better warriors, but their powers were much stronger then that of W.I.T.C.H's. Will had done and seen a lot as a Guardian, but she had never faced power on this level. Even Phobos never had energy blasts as powerful as these.

Hay Lin was being chased around the top of the council room, but she still managed to sneak a hopeful glance at Taranee.

"Sorry." Taranee said. "I used up all my clever ideas on the Knights. Someone else needs to take this one."

"Will?" Hay Lin asked.

Will had her hands full with Orube, the self-proclaimed leader of the new Guardians. Will's years of flying experience was enough to avoid most of her foe's attacks, but the cat-like Orube had no problem fighting hand to hand as well, and with her claw like fingernails fully extended, Orube would have no trouble defeating Will in a fistfight.

Will managed to hit Orube with a bolt of lightning before Orube could get in to close. It was a glancing blow, but one that managed to buy Will a few moments of time. She glanced up to Endarno, still riding on his platform, surveying the battle. She remembered something that Buchan had said to them before they had left Meridian.

"Well, I do have a plan," she said, "but you're not going to like it."

* * *

Far from the battle, the Honor Guard checked their weapons. Although this was supposed to be a simple retrieval mission, they had learned long ago that it never hurt to be prepared for anything, and that meant being armed to the teeth at all times. For most of the warriors, weapons check simply meant making sure your sword, axe or dagger was sharp. For Walli, it was much more complicated.

Walli was an archer, and it was vital that his bow and arrows be prepared for a fight. His bowstring was made of Hermeneuta Beast gut, which was very light and very strong. His bowshaft was a composite bow made of wood and various animal fibers. Each arrow was custom made for a different range and strength level. It took several minutes for him to complete his check, but he did not mind. He found the routine soothing, and helped to calm him before battles.

Walli had never been to Kandrakar before, and was just now able to appreciate the grand scope of the fortress. Before he met the Honor Guard, he had only rarely left his village, and preferred the simple things in life. Now, he lived in a castle and was on another world. He knew this should bother him, but it didn't. He enjoyed his new life. Besides, he didn't have much of a choice.

"So this Engine powers Kandrakar, as well as these new Guardians?" Julian asked Yan Lin.

"Yes."

"And where is this Engine?"

"It is in the core of Kandrakar itself." Yan Lin said. "It will be well protected, and will not be easy to reach."

"No kidding. Exactly what type of defenses are we talking about here?" Raythor asked.

"I'm… not exactly sure." Yan Lin admitted. "Only those that operate it ever enter, and they say little about the path in. Few others have ever entered, and none have exited."

"Well, that's ominous."

"However, I know one of the core operators well, and do have some information. I know that there are five chambers you must pass before you reach the Engine." Yan Lin continued. "The chambers of control, commitment, endurance, strength and,"

"And what?"

"Even those who work in the Engine's core never talk about the fifth chamber. I do not know what it holds,"

"But it's not good." Caleb finished.

"Please, be careful." Yan Lin said. "I would not ask you to do this if I didn't think it was absolutely necessary.

"What do we do once we get in?" Vathek said. "How do we shut it down?"

"You don't." Yan Lin said. "All of Kandrakar relies on the power of the Engine. To shut it down would be… disastrous, to say the least."

"So what do we do then?" Walli asked.

"You just need to sever the connection between the Engine and the Guardians." Yan Lin said.

"Don't you mean 'we'?" Caleb said. "Aren't you coming with us?"

"No." Yan Lin said. "I am an old woman now, and I will only slow you down. My adventuring days are over."

"But how will we know what to do once we get there?" Caleb asked.

"Take this." Yan Lin said, handing Caleb a small, purple stone. "Talking stones. Hold it in your hand, think of me, and we will be able to communicate. I'll tell you what to do when you get there."

"Okay," Caleb said, "we'll…"

"Halt!"

The group spun to find two elders advancing towards them.

"Excellent work finding the insurgents." One of the elders said. "We will take them to the Tower of Mists for interrogation."

"No." Yan Lin said. "You won't."

"Elder Yan Lin," the other man said, "hand over the insurgents. Need I remind you of your sworn oath to obey the Oracle?"

"I swore to do what's best for Kandrakar until the day I die." Yan Lin said. "And if that means disobeying the Oracle, then so be it."

"Hand them over, or we will take them by force!"

"Yan Lin?" Caleb asked hesitantly.

"Go." she replied. "Save the girls. Get to the Engine."

"What about…"

"Go!"

The Honor Guard, lead by Blunk, ran off in the direction of the Engine, leaving Yan Lin to face the two approaching elders.

* * *

The Guardians, meanwhile, were having problems of their own. Their defensive strategy was beginning to fail, and the replacement Guardians appeared to be only moments away from winning. The girls fled from their attackers and tried to regroup.

"Will, we're powerless against them!" Cornelia said loudly.

"Let's face it gang, we're beat!" Irma added.

"We have to keep fighting!" Will said. "To the final breath!"

The Guardians, the true Guardians, responded with an inspired effort. Lightning bolts, blasts of water, fireballs, tornado's and giant stones all flew against their enemies. Against such an onslaught, most people would have fled in terror, but the replacement Guardians were trained warriors, and acted as such.

The new Guardians were too quick for W.I.T.C.H's attack. Orube evaded the elemental strike by dropping to the floor. Her teammates quickly followed her lead, and with knife like precision, once again attacked. W.I.T.C.H, exhausted from two straight battles, could do little to defend themselves. Orube tackled Will in mid-air and drove her through the council room wall. Will and Orube tumbled to the ground in the next room. Will shook her head and found herself staring at a large group of elders. The pair had crashed into the main sanctuary of Kandrakar, where many of the elders lived and worked. They had stopped their tasks and were staring at the combatants who had entered their midst. Will barely had time to process this when Orube leapt on her back, pinning her to the floor.

"Will!"

Taranee raced through the hole left in the wall, flying straight at Orube. One of the new Guardians hit Taranee in the back with an energy bolt, dropping the fire Guardian. One by one, W.I.T.C.H fell and were pinned to the ground.

* * *

Elyon and the Honor Guard, following Blunk's lead, headed towards the Kandrakar Engine.

"Don't suppose I can convince you to go back to Meridian?" Caleb said to Elyon.

"No, you can't." Elyon said. "So don't try to make me."

"Elyon, this is no place for…"

"I don't want to hear it, Caleb." Elyon said. "The Guardians are friends of mine too, and I have just as much right to risk my life for them as you do."

Caleb sighed, but said nothing. He had known Elyon long enough to know this was an argument he could not win.

Within a few minutes, the group had reached the entrance of the Engine.

"Here, in here!" Blunk said.

"Good job Blunk." Elyon said, giving him a pat on the head.

"Blunk action…"

"Yes, yes, you're an action hero, we all know." Caleb said. "What do we do now?"

A large, black door stood in front of them. Ancient Kandrakarian symbols covered the door.

"Blunk, what do these say?" Julian asked, running his fingers on the symbols.

"Entrance to Engine core. Authorized personnel only. Certain death to all trespassers." Blunk read.

"Lovely." Elyon said. "Caleb, why don't you ever take me anywhere nice?"

"What about this one?" Julian asked, pointing to a small sign above the door handle.

Blunk studied the sign for a few moments.

"Push to open." he said.

"Right then, let's go." Raythor said.

And with a push of the doors, Elyon, Blunk and the Honor Guard walked through the entrance way and onto a long, narrow walkway. Another tall, black door waited for them on the other side.

"Well this doesn't seem so bad." Drake said.

No sooner had the words left his mouth then the platform that they were standing on began to move. One by one, the walkway separated itself into many different pieces, each of which began flying across the room at incredible speeds. The same was true of the platform on which Elyon, Blunk and the Honor Guard were standing. Their platform began shooting uncontrollably across the room as well, leaving no way for them to get to the other door. The only piece of the walkway that hadn't moved was the one directly in front of the far door.

"Well, this is different." Vathek said.

"Didn't Yan Lin say this was called the Chamber of control?" Caleb said. "Doesn't seem like a very good name."

"Maybe we have to have control when nothing else does." Elyon said.

The movement was becoming faster and faster, and it was starting to take its toll on the Meridianites. All of them were getting queasy.

"How are we supposed to get to the other side?" Vathek asked, his familiar blue skin turning slightly green.

Walli surveyed the situation, and then turned to face Raythor.

"How attached are you to your sword?" he said.

"Why?" Raythor asked suspiciously.

"May I see it for a moment?" Walli asked.

Raythor reluctantly handed over the sword. Walli planted it firmly in the platform so that it stood upright. Next, he took an arrow with a long piece of rope attached to it. He notched the arrow and fired it at the far door, where it stuck. He tied the other end of the rope to the handle of Raythor's sword. A long piece of rope now connected the group with the door.

"Not bad." Caleb said. "I knew it was a good idea to have you on the team."

"Just doing my job." Walli replied.

One by one, the group shimmied across the rope to the far side. This was no easy task, as Raythor's sword, and therefore the rope, were still constantly rotating. Nevertheless, all nine members of the party made it across safely. Once they were all on solid ground, they pushed open the door and entered the next chamber.

* * *

Orube stood over Will, one foot on the girls' back, keeping her pinned. One of Orube's fists glowed with golden power and was aimed at Will's head. The other members of W.I.T.C.H were in similar situations, each with a replacement Guardian standing over them. Hundreds of elders surrounded this strange scene, each staring intently at the Guardians, waiting to see what would happen next.

Endarno flew his platform through the hole in the council room wall and into the sanctuary, where he hovered above Will.

"I hope that someday you will appreciate all I have done for you." Endarno said, looking down at Will.

"Excuse me?" Will said, each word a struggle.

"I worked hard to make sure you were out of my way as cleanly as possible." Endarno said. "I tried to see that you were comfortable. Eliminated, but comfortable. But you wouldn't do it. You had to come back. You had to be Guardians, and you had to get in my way! I hoped to avoid bloodshed, but now you've left me no choice."

"You shouldn't have taken my friend." Will said. "You shouldn't have taken Elyon!"

"Elyon?" Endarno said, surprised. "Elyon means nothing to me. Elyon is just a means to an end. I knew that if I ordered you to take her from Meridian that you would refuse, and that I could use that disobedience to remove you from your position as Guardians. Then you would be out of my way forever."

"So all this has just been about us?" Will asked.

"It's always been about you!" Endarno shouted. "It's never been about anything other the you five girls. You are different Will, I'm sure you know this. There have never been Guardians like you before. You are young, wild and free. You are independent. And most importantly, you are uncontrollable. Unpredictable. And that is unacceptable. I knew from the beginning that you could no longer be allowed to be Guardians. So I attempted to get rid of you."

"I, I don't understand." Will said. "Why do you hate us? Why do you want to get rid of us?"

Endarno opened his mouth to speak again, but for the first time, he did not like the strong, proud man Will was used to seeing. Instead, he seemed old and tired, as if he had been carrying a heavy burden for too long.

"I know things, Will." He said. "I know about what is coming, and I know the role that you five girls are destined to play. I know what you will do, even if you do not. I am forbidden to tell you what I know for as long as I live, but I cannot, I will not let it happen. You must not be allowed to continue being Guardians."

Endarno took a deep breath and continued.

"We are not so different Will. We are both strong and determined. We trust in ourselves more then anything else. And we both refuse to let anything stand in our way. Orube?"

Orube looked up at the Oracle.

"Kill them."

Orube's hands began to glow brighter, but before she could strike, she noticed two things. One, Will was smiling, and two, lightning had begun to race down Will's arm, towards her clenched fist. Before Orube could move out of the way, Will fired a bolt of lightning stronger then any she had ever fired before. It hit Orube square in the chest, sending her flying backwards. Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin each dispatched their attackers with similar ease, and each in their own unique way.

"Figured there was only one way to show the elders who you truly were." Will said, pointing to the crowd of Kandrakar elders who stood watching. "So we took a dive. We let your Guardians defeat us, and we made sure everyone saw it. You're nothing but a murderer, and now they all know it."

Endarno stumbled backwards on his platform, stunned. The elders were muttering to themselves. The Oracle had ordered his Guardians to kill a defenseless enemy? This did not fit Kandrakar's 'commitment to peace' motto. Perhaps they had made the wrong choice when they selected an Oracle.

Endarno paid no attention to any of that, however, for he was too busy staring at the five girls in front of him. W.I.T.C.H had gotten to their feet and were now united in front of him. Elemental power radiated off of them. For a brief second, Endarno truly realized what these girls were capable of, and he was afraid.

"And now," Will said, cracking her knuckles, "now we show you how the real Guardians do it."


	31. Ruthless

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 30

Ruthless

Kandrakar

The Honor Guard walked through the large black doors and into the second chamber on their path to the Engine of Kandrakar. It was a large, dark room, with a high ceiling and a black door at the other end. A few torches on the wall providing light were the only things in an otherwise empty room.

"Spread out, be ready for anything." Caleb instructed, drawing his sword.

"Any ideas, Blunk?" Elyon asked.

"Yes, Blunk have idea. Go back to Meridian. Very good idea. Meridian not spooky."

"What's to be afraid of?" Drake asked. "It's just an empty room."

Suddenly, a small figure appeared in front of them. No larger then a child, the creature was completely black, except for large purple eyes.

"Well, that's creepy." Tynar said.

"It's blocking our way to the door." Julian noted.

"Yes," Caleb said, "yes it is. Vathek, would you be so kind as to remove it?"

"Gladly."

Vathek charged. The creature, unabashed by the attack, merely raised its arm. Vathek was flung backwards by an unseen force.

"I'm really getting sick of flying through the air." Vathek said once he had landed.

The rest of the Honor Guard attacked as a group, minus Vathek, who was on the ground, and Raythor who had no weapon. He had lost his sword in the last chamber, and could now only grasp at his empty sheath as his teammates were flung through the air.

As soon as they got back to their feet, the Honor Guard attacked again. Individually, in pairs, the result was always the same. They could get within feet of the creature but would be thrown away.

"This sucks." Caleb said, summing up everyone's thoughts.

"Try attacking from all sides." Raythor said. "It can't seem to defend two spots at once.

The team did as Raythor had told them, and for once, met with success. As the creature dispatched Walli, Drake managed to sneak in from behind and pierce the creatures' chest with both of his daggers. This, however, had no effect, and the creature barely even looked at the knifes in it's body. It sent Drake flying without even turning around.

"Now what?" Caleb said. "It took us ten minutes just to get close to the thing, an even then our best kill shot didn't even make it flinch."

"Wait, a second, what is this Chamber called again?" Elyon asked.

"The Chamber of Commitment." Julian answered.

Elyon rolled her eyes and walked towards the creature.

"Elyon?" Caleb said nervously.

"Don't worry Caleb, I got this one." Elyon replied.

The creature stared at Elyon as she got nearer.

"Hello!" Elyon said to the creature. "I think we got off on the wrong foot. My name is Elyon, and we'd really like to go through that door. Would you please get out of the way?"

The collective jaws of the Honor Guard fell to the floor as the creature moved to one side, just as Elyon had asked. She took a step past it and beamed back at Caleb.

"What just happened?" Caleb asked.

"This is the Chamber of Commitment." Elyon said. "And Kandrakar's motto is 'Commitment to Peace'. So I figured we had to use peace to move forward."

Caleb shook his head in disbelief as he walked past the creature and through the open door.

* * *

W.I.T.C.H had gotten to their feet and were now united in front of Endarno and his replacement Guardians. They had faked defeat and had not only learned of Endarno's true plan to replace them as Guardians, but had also managed to land a free attack on each of their foes. The excitement they had felt from having their plan work quickly faded once the battle resumed.

Since they were no longer pretending, W.I.T.C.H was giving the replacement Guardians the fight of their life. Will was trading blasts with Orube, and the rest of the girls were holding their own against their counter parts. Will still had one more part of her plan that she had to enact, however, before she could completely focus on Orube.

"Elders!" She said, narrowly avoiding an attack from Orube. "You heard what he said. You heard what he tried to do!"

The elders had moved back to avoid being caught in the battle, but they could still hear Will's words. It was clear that Will was getting through to them.

"We have done nothing but serve Kandrakar as Guardians, and how does he repay us? By tricking us and then trying to kill us!"

There was a lot of murmuring now between the elders. Only yesterday Endarno had had their full support, but now things had become less clear. Will's words made sense, and the elders didn't know what to think.

"You heard his plans!" Will continued. "He used you, all of you, for his own personal gain! He is not worthy of being your Oracle! He sees you only as tools!"

"You don't understand! You don't know the things I do, you don't know what I've had to do!" Endrano pleaded. But it was too late. His cries sounded desperate and the elders were angry. It was one thing to try and hurt the Guardians, but to use the fortress? To lie and trick your way into power? That was unacceptable. And the elders had had enough.

"Very well!" Endarno growled. "I see my plans have gone awry. I appear to have only one course of action available to me. Guardians! My Guardians! Kill them all!"

Orube, loyal to Endarno and with no connections to Kandrakar, obeyed. She fired a blast that sent Will flying.

"Time to end this." Orube said, advanacing towards Will.

Will got to her feet, her hands sparking with energy.

"My thoughts exactly." she said.

* * *

Caleb had trained himself to be ready for any situation. He knew how to handle any adversary and how defend any attack. Despite this, he was not prepared for what happened in the third chamber.

As soon as Elyon, Blunk and the Honor Guard entered the small, cube shaped room, the doors on either end of the room slammed shut.

"That can't be good."

Suddenly, the roof opened up, and water poured in, filling up the room completely. Caleb tried to focus, to use the warrior part of his mind as the water swirled around him, but nothing came. There were no exits and no way to stop the water from coming in. He began to feel a panic set in. It had all happened so fast, there was no way to think of a plan. The elders who worked on the Engine would know what to do, but they didn't. Elyon floated by, her cheeks puffed out, trying to hold as much air as possible. He had failed her. He had led her into danger and now she was going to pay for it.

He had just about given up hope when he spotted something near the door they had come in. It was a lever with a sign above it. The sign showed a water drop with a line through it. It was easy enough to understand; pull the lever and the water went away. He swam towards the switch and was about to pull it when something grabbed his hand.

He turned around and found his father staring back at him. Julian pulled Caleb's hand away from the lever and shook his head. Caleb gave him a confused look, and tried once more to pull the switch. Once again Julian stopped him. Caleb had no more energy left for another try. As the last bit of air escaped from his lungs, something very unexpected happened. The water disappeared. Without anyone doing anything, they were suddenly standing on the dry chamber floor. All nine of them stood bent over, coughing water out of their lungs.

"Dad, what was that all about?" Caleb said, once he could talk.

"This is the Chamber of Endurance." Julian said. "We had to endure the water, not fight it. I'm guessing that if you had pulled that lever, we would have been trapped forever."

"Good call." Elyon said. "Now let's get out of here."

The team shook themselves dry, and headed for the next chamber.

* * *

Will couldn't resist a tiny smile as she charged towards Orube. The last five minutes had been a tense execution of a complicated plan. From Taranee's idea to defeat the Knights, to letting the new Guardians defeat them, to convincing the elders that Endarno was the wrong Oracle, her mind had been racing. But now, all of that was done. Will the strategist had done her part, now it was time for Will the warrior. She struck hard and fast against Orube, buying some time to survey the situation.

Cornelia was in a tug of war with her opponent. The Earth Guardian kept throwing boulders and the replacement Guardian kept shooting them down. Cornelia kept up the attack while secretly raising a large boulder from behind her enemy. The rock slammed into the replacement Guardian from behind, sending her spiraling to the ground. Cornelia quickly flashed Will the thumbs up sign, then kept up the attack.

Taranee decided not to use such fancy strategy against her foe. Fireballs collided with energy beams in mid-air, their bright explosions lighting up the sky. After a few seconds of trading shots, Taranee dove towards the new Guardian and got in close. She grabbed the wrists of her opponents with red-hot hands. The replacement Guardian screamed, then threw Taranee backwards against a wall. Will could only watch as the two once more continued they're aerial battle.

Hay Lin and Irma were fighting together against two of the other Guardians. The replacements might have had more fighting experience, but they were no match for Irma and Hay Lin's teamwork. Water and air combined and twirled together in a stunning display of power. Hay Lin would use her air currents to keep the replacements off balance, while Irma hit them with various water attacks. Their enemies were holding their own due only to their superior firepower. Will could see that her friends needed no help.

With her fellow Guardians accounted for, Will focused on Orube. She had gotten to her feet, and was back on the attack. It was clear that Orube was the more aggressive of the two, and Will decided to use it against her. She flew into the air, chased by bolts of golden energy. She fired lightning bolts only occasionally, preferring to stay on the defensive. The plan was to let Orube tire herself out with the constant attacks, then take her down once she was too exhausted to defend herself. It was a plan Will had used in the past, and she expected it to work.

Will swung her arms back to give herself maximum air speed. The sanctuary walls blurred as she raced past them. She could hear Orube's bolts of energy shooting over her head, but kept flying. Orube tried every move she knew to bring Will down, but the younger girl managed to avoid all attacks. Orube was getting angry, and it showed. Where before her blasts had left scorch marks on the walls, they now left craters. Will soon realized that one blast would be all Orube needed to win.

After several minutes of defending, Will was beginning to sweat. Something was wrong. Will was on the verge of exhaustion, but Orube seemed full of energy. They must have an almost unlimited power source, Will thought to herself. Her plan wasn't working. Orube was not getting tired. She would have to come up with another plan. While Will was working on a way to defeat Orube, she got sloppy. Orube rushed in from behind Will and grabbed her ankle, throwing Will to the ground.

Will ordered herself to get up, but her muscles wouldn't listen. She had only gotten to her knees when Orube landed and pointed a glowing fist at her.

"Goodbye, girl." Orube said.

Orube's fist glowed with power. Will shut her eyes, and waited for the end.

* * *

The Honor Guard stepped cautiously into the fourth chamber, ready for anything. This chamber was similar to the last one. Small, square and dark, with a black door at the other end.

"I don't know who designed these rooms, but they're a jerk." Tynar said.

"What is this chamber called?" Walli asked.

"The Chamber of Strength." Elyon replied.

As she said this, a large steel wall came down in front of the far door, blocking it completely. A handle appeared in the front of the wall, so someone could grip in and try to lift the wall up.

"Well, at least it's straight forward." Tynar said. "Vathek?"

Vathek, by far the biggest and strongest of the Honor Guard, grabbed the handle and began to pull. The wall didn't moved.

"Uh oh." Drake said. "Now what?"

"I can do it." Vathek said, griping the handle again.

"I know that this isn't going to surprise anyone, but were locked in." Raythor said, attempting to open the door they had just come in.

"Do you see any writing, Blunk?" Julian asked, scanning the wall.

"No! Nothing! Just big wall that's too heavy! We stuck!"

"Stop yelling, Blunk." Elyon said.

"It's not too heavy." Vathek said, breathing heavily, "I can lift it.

Despite Vathek's confidence in himself, it was clear that the wall was not going to be moved.

"This doesn't make any sense." Raythor said. "Vathek's got to be ten times as strong as any of the elders. How can they lift it when he can't?"

"Hmmmm." Caleb said, thinking.

"Caleb?" Elyon asked.

"This is the Chamber of Strength, right?" he said. "Father, do you remember what you always told me when I was a child?"

Julian thought for a moment, then smiled.

"I told you that true strength is not about being strong enough, it's about admitting when you're not."

"Someone want to explain to me what you guys are talking about?" Vathek said.

"You have to admit that you can't lift it." Caleb said.

"What?"

"Tell the wall you can't lift it."

Vathek rolled his eyes, but did as he was told.

"I can't lift you." he said. Nothing happened.

"Say that you're too weak."

Vathek muttered something under his breath, then turned back to the wall.

"I'm too weak."

This time, the wall slowly rose back up into the ceiling where it had come from. Caleb gave Vathek a pat on the back.

"Good job, old friend."

The nine of them stared at the black door in front of them, but did not enter it.

"Yan Lin said that the even the elders were too scared to talk about the fifth chamber." Walli said.

"Yep."

"Are we sure we want to do this?" Tynar asked.

"Do we have a choice?" Raythor replied.

"I guess not."

"Alright," Caleb said. "Let's go."

And with that, Elyon, Blunk and the Honor Guard walked through the door, and into the final chamber.


	32. Power Struggle

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 31

Power Struggle

Orube towered over Will, fist extended and glowing with power. Will shut her eyes and waited for Orube to fire her deadly blast. A few seconds later, however, Will opened her eyes to see a peculiar sight.

The power in Orube's fist had spread throughout the woman's body. Within seconds, she was covered in a golden glow. Although this surprised Will, she was nowhere near as startled as Orube was. The usually calm warrior now had panic written across her face. As the glow covered the last tip of her head, Orube began to scream in pain. Her cries were echoed by those of her teammates, who were in similar situations. One by one, the replacement Guardians were consumed by their power, and dropped to the ground.

"What's happening?" Irma asked, landing next to Will.

"I'm not sure…" Will said.

The five members of W.I.T.C.H grouped together in the center of the sanctuary, surrounded by their writhing replacements. Endarno flew in on his platform.

"Weak!" he said. "Weak fools! I should have known better then to trust them with my goals."

"What did you do Endarno?" Taranee asked.

"You took the Heart." Endarno said. "I had no choice. I did what needed to be done."

"It's their power!" Cornelia said. "Whatever he's using to power them is too much for them to control!"

"And it's killing them!" Hay Lin added, kneeling beside Orube.

"Yes, I believe it is." Endarno said. He had lost his confident demeanor, and was now simply watching with grim curiosity. The Guardians lived, and the elders would soon remove him from power.

"Ah, girls, I think this might be a bigger problem then we think." Taranee said.

"How can it be bigger?" Cornelia asked.

"Well, I don't know what's powering these replacement Guardians, but it's big." Taranee said.

"So?"

"So if I'm analyzing this correctly, and I am, it's going to build to such an extent that it's going to explode."

"That doesn't sound good." Irma said.

"It's not." Taranee replied. "Based on the power source necessary to cause this kind of reaction, best case scenario is the explosion kills everyone in this room."

"That's the best case? What's the worst case?" Hay Lin asked.

"Worst case, the explosion takes out all of Kandrakar, and probably most of the universe too."

* * *

Far away from the sanctuary, and oblivious to the drama going on above them, Elyon, Blunk and the Honor Guard continued to move towards the Engine room. Four chambers were behind them, but there was still one that stood in their way.

The nine meridianites cautiously entered the fifth chamber. They had been humbled by the previous challenges, and did not know what to expect in this, the most dangerous chamber of them all.

"Spread out and stay alert." Caleb said, drawing his sword. "Elyon, stay in the middle. We'll protect you."

"No, you won't." Elyon said.

Caleb turned to Elyon and felt his heart drop. Elyon stood in front of him, dead. She still talked, and stood, but she did not breathe. Her skin was pale white and her eyes were empty. Caleb had no time to react.

"You won't save me." Elyon said. "You can't. You led me into danger, and you weren't strong enough to protect me. Now I've paid the price. And it's all your fault."

Caleb tried to respond but no words came. Before he could catch his breath, Elyon disappeared, and was replaced by the Honor Guard. Each of them was dead, just like Elyon.

"You tried your best, but it wasn't good enough." Vathek said.

"There are too many enemies, Caleb. Too many monsters." Drake added.

"Did you really think some silly team could protect you? Could protect us?" said Tynar.

"Face it Caleb, without the Guardians, you're nothing. You're a joke." Raythor said.

"And now, because you couldn't accept that, we're dead. Dead!" His father said.

"No, father, I tried, I really did! I thought this would work! I thought I was strong enough!" Caleb pleaded, but it was no use. The Honor Guard disappeared, just like Elyon. This time, they were replaced by Cornelia, who still looked alive.

"Cornelia! Thank god you're alright!" Caleb said. "I'm sorry…"

"I'm sorry too Caleb." she said. "I'm sorry for making you think that this could ever work, but we both know this is the way it has to be."

"What?" Caleb said.

"We're too different." Cornelia said. "I'm from Earth and you're from Meridian. You're a warrior and I'm just an ordinary girl. Did you really think it would ever work between us?"

"Cornelia, wait! We can still…"

"No, Caleb. I can't wait. Not anymore." Cornelia said, turning away from Caleb. "Goodbye Caleb. Forever."

Perhaps there was a small part of Caleb that knew what was really happening. Perhaps some of him realized that this wasn't real, simply an illusion created by the room. The Chamber of Regret, for that is what it was called, had the power to make all who entered it live their greatest doubts and fears. For Caleb, he doubted he could ever protect those he loved, and he feared that what he had with Cornelia could never last. If there was a part of him that understood what was happening to him, it did not help him. His mind was unable to handle the emotions running through his brain, and he collapsed.

The others, seeing similar visions, followed Caleb to the ground. One by one, they collapsed.

Except for two. Two pairs of hands pushed against the large black door, falling through it and into the Kandrakar core room. They fell to their knees, gasping for breath. When they had regained their strength, Walli and Raythor looked at each other.

"I served Phobos for twenty years." Raythor said, eyeing Walli. "I dedicated my life to him, and was thrown into the abyss of shadows because of it. It took me a year to climb out, and when I did, I found that Phobos had lied to me. I found out that he was not an honorable man, but a petty tyrant. I found out that I had spent twenty years hurting innocents."

"I know." Walli said. "I read you file. Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I've lived all by doubts and fears." Raythor said. "That's why I was able to exit that room. How did you? What have you done that could match that?"

Walli lowered his gaze.

"I've seen things, done things that none of you know about." he said. "Believe me when I say that I have no doubts about who I am. And there is nothing anymore that scares me."

Raythor wanted to ask more questions, but he realized now was not the time. Besides, far be it for him to question others about their past. For now, he would just have to be grateful that he was not alone.

* * *

The Guardians stared at the women below them, who would soon explode, killing everyone.

"What do we do now?" Cornelia asked.

"Even if we knew how to stop their power source, I figure there's only about thirty seconds before it's too late." Taranee said.

"Well we have to do something!" Irma said.

"Let's get these people out of here." Hay Lin replied, looking back at the Kandrakar elders.

"Not enough time." Taranee said.

"How much time do you need?" Will asked.

"Will?"

"How much?"

"In a couple minutes we could get everyone out of here and into Meridian." Taranee said.

Will quickly opened a fold to Meridian.

"Do it." She said.

"Will, what are you…"

"There's no time, do it!" Will said.

Taranee sighed and did as she was told. She had an idea what Will's plan was, and as much as she wanted to talk Will out of it, there was no time. When she looked into Will's eyes, she saw no fear, only determination. She turned around, and one by one, the Guardians started filing the elders through the fold and into the Meridian castle.

Will bent down next to the replacement Guardians, and pulled out the Heart. Everyone had told her that she was different, that she was special. Time to find out if they were right. She could tell there wasn't much time left. Orube was doing everything she could to hold in the power, but it was soon going to be to late. Will held the Heart over the replacement Guardians, and slowly began to absorb their power.

Will knew that she would not be strong enough to control all of the power, but that didn't stop her from trying. She was a true Guardian, she thought to herself, she had a Heart. She had more experience with this type of thing. She would be able to last longer. It was excruciating, like trying to hold back a hurricane, but she only needed to do it for a few minutes. Just long enough for her friends to get everyone to safety.

She could feel her control slipping. There wasn't anything anyone could do now. It was too late. She'd gone to far. It was only a matter of seconds before the power would consume her, and she wouldn't need to worry about anything anymore.

* * *

For the first time since they had reached the core, Walli and Raythor took a good look at their surroundings. The core was a long, golden cylinder, stretching endlessly, both up and down. Neither of them had ever seen anything like it, and it took a couple of seconds for them to take it in.

"How do we stop this thing?" Raythor asked.

"We contact Yan Lin." Walli said calmly. "She'll know what to do."

"Yan Lin!" Raythor said, remembering. "But the talking stone, Caleb has it!"

Walli reached into his pocket and pulled out a small purple stone.

"I got it off of him in the last chamber, after he had collapsed." Walli said.

"Smart." Raythor replied.

Walli grasped the stone and thought of Yan Lin. Far away from the chamber, elder Yan Lin held her talking stone and listened carefully.

"Yan Lin, can you hear me?" came Walli's voice through the stone. "It is Walli. Raythor and I are at the core."

"Only you and Raythor?" Yan Lin asked. "Where are the others?"

"They did not make it through the last chamber." Walli replied.

"About that," Raythor said. "They're going to be alright, right?"

"Yes, Raythor, they should be fine." Yan Lin reassured.

"What about you?" Raythor asked. "Last time we saw you, there were two elders spoiling for a fight."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about them." Yan Lin said with a smile. She glanced back at the two unconscious bodies behind her.

"What did you do to them?" Walli asked.

"Let's just say, once a Guardian, always a Guardian." Yan Lin replied.

"Speaking of Gaurdians, how do we save them?" Raythor asked.

"Look to your left." Yan Lin said. "There should be a small control panel."

Walli turned and found it.

"Your definition of small is much different then mine." Raythor said, staring at the panel.

Thousands of buttons lined the panel's surface, each one a different color, and each one with a different symbol.

"Press the access button." Yan Lin said.

"Ummmm…" Raythor replied, staring at the buttons.

"The green one with the symbol that looks like a tree wearing a top hat."

Walli quickly located the button and pressed it. Slowly, Yan Lin walked Walli through the process of shutting down the connection between the new Gaurdians and the Engine. It was painfully difficult to figure out Yan Lin's instructions.

"I hope they're not in a rush up there." Raythor said. "This is taking forever."

"Just one more button." Yan Lin said. "Red and white, with three upside down triangles. Once you press that, the connection should be broken."

"Should?" Walli asked.

"Well I've never done this before, but if it's anything like other Kandrakarian panels, this should be how it works." Yan Lin said.

"And if it isn't?" Walli asked.

"Oh, just hurry up!" Raythor said. Then he leaned over and pushed the button.

Raythor wasn't exactly sure what he expected to happen, but it didn't happen. There were no bright lights, no special effects, nothing. Everything remained exactly the same as it had before.

"Yan Lin?" Walli said. "Did we do it right?"

"I don't know." Yan Lin said. "Either it worked, and the Guardians are saved, or it didn't work, and we only have a few seconds to live. We'll just have to wait and see."

"Oh." Walli said.

Then he sat down and waited.


	33. At Any Cost

W.I.T.C.H

Chapter 32

At Any Cost

Will was finding it harder and harder to control the power within. Her eyes fluttered close, and the sweat began to drip off her body. She had no idea that the power was coming from the Engine. All she knew was that it was far more powerful then anything she had ever felt before, and that she wouldn't be able to hold it much longer. The pain was getting to be too much, even with the Heart to help her. She used every inch of mental strength she could find to hold back the building power, but she was so tired. She wished she was home, curled up in bed. She imagined just flopping down on the sheets, and pulling the covers around her. She could picture every inch of her room, and wondered if she'd ever see it again. She truly believed that this was the end.

"Girls," Will said, struggling to get each word out. "Did they make it, did you get everyone out."

"Yeah, Will, we did it." Irma said, kneeling by her friend. "They're all saved. Because of you."

"Then get out of here!" Will said. "Get to safety."

"Will, we're not going to leave you." Cornelia said.

"You have to!" Will said. "I won't be able to hold it in much longer!"

"Will,"

"There's nothing you can do." Will said. "This is how it has to be."

"Will,"

"Explain everything to my mom. Tell her I love her."

"Will,"

"And Matt. Let him know that I was thinking of him right to the end."

"Will!"

"And tell…"

"Will, would you shut up for a second!" Irma said. "You're not glowing anymore. The power's gone!"

Will looked at her hands. Sure enough, the golden glow had faded from sight.

"Oh." Was all she managed to say.

She felt the pain disappear and went limp. For a few seconds, she just lay there, listening to her own breath, and smiling.

"Alright, let's not do that again." she said.

She quickly felt the power recede and her strength return. She got to her feet, looked around, and found that the replacement Guardians were also getting to their feet, seemingly unharmed. Although exhausted, Will clenched her fists, ready to continue their fight, but Orube raised her hands in surrender.

"You saved my life." Orube said. "You saved all of our lives. I'll not forget that. We have no quarrel with you."

"Oh. Well, good." Will said, eyeing Orube suspiciously.

"So, so one of you smart people want to tell me what just happened?" Irma asked.

"I believe I am best suited for that job, Irma." Yan Lin said, appearing in the doorway.

"Grandma!" Hay Lin shouted, giving her grandmother a hug.

"It is good to see you as well, Hay Lin." Yan Lin said. "It is good to see all of you. I must admit, I was getting worried there. But it appears that Walli and Raythor did their work on time."

"Walli and Raythor?" Cornelia said. "What about the others? What about Caleb."

"He's fine, Cornelia." Yan Lin replied. "They all are fine."

"So what happened?" Irma said. "Why did everybody start glowing? What was powering the other Guardians? What does Endarno know? Where is Endarno? Who's the Oracle now? Where…"

"Slow down, Irma!" Yan Lin said. "There will be time for all of that later. Right now, there is something very important you must all do."

"Aw, what now?" Hay Lin said.

Yan Lin smiled.

"Enjoy your victory."

And they did. The girls looked around at the mostly destroyed sanctuary. They had fought, and they had won. Yes there was still a lot of work to be done, and yes, there were still many questions to be answered, but they had won! No one got hurt, Endarno would be brought to justice, and within a couple of hours they would be back home with their families.

Will thought of everything that had happened throughout the past few weeks. She remembered Himerish's departure, the loss of the Heart, the time spent with her mother, and having to make the decision to take the Heart back. She thought of all this and did the only thing she could do. She smiled. It was a hard life, but it was a good one. And most importantly, it was hers.

The next few hours were very busy for everyone in Kandrakar. The Guardians helped repair the wall between the council room and the sanctuary, and made sure that Endarno hadn't escaped during the battle. He hadn't, but that didn't stop him from putting his final plan into action. When it was clear to him that W.I.T.C.H was going to survive, he retrieved a small, metal cylinder from inside his robe pocket. Without a second thought, he swallowed it, without anyone noticing. When he was lead to Kandrakar's prison, the tower of mists, the only thing he had to say was "How unfortunate".

A team of elders was sent to the Engine core to retrieve the Honor Guard. Caleb, Elyon and the others who had been unable to make it past the fifth chamber were safely brought back to the sanctuary, much to everyone's relief. They suffered only mild headaches, and a lot of teasing from Raythor. Even Walli, normally reserved and stoic, managed a smile as Raythor poked fun at the others.

Despite their numerous recent battles, the Guardians were all in a good mood, and energetic. Cornelia was talking to Caleb and Elyon. She enjoyed every second that she could spend with the two of them, and this was no exception. She noticed that Elyon seemed happier then she had in weeks. Elyon had finally managed to play a part in the victory, instead of just being a bystander, and her newfound confidence showed in her smile. Caleb was happy to have his queen back, but Cornelia thought he seemed a little distant. Sometime, Cornelia thought, she was going to have to find out what happened in those chambers.

Irma and Hay Lin walked over to Blunk.

"Hey, Blunk, does this mean you're part of the Honor Guard now? Is Caleb gonna give you your own sword?" Irma asked.

"Blunk hope so! Although, Blunk not get own sword. Aldarn not let him."

"Why not?" Hay Lin asked.

"Bad training day. Aldarn walk with limp for week. Blunk not want to talk about it."

Irma smiled as Hay Lin laughed.

Taranee was helping Vathek and Tynar clear some rubble.

"Why don't you just let us handle this?" Vathek said to Taranee, who was about to lift a particularly large piece of stone.

"Why? You don't think I can lift it?" Taranee asked.

"Well, to be honest…"

Before Vathek could finish, Taranee grabbed the stone and flew it high into the air, before placing it gently back on the ground.

"Guess you shouldn't underestimate me, Vathek." she said upon landing.

"Wow." Tynar said. "First the Knights, then the second and fourth Chambers, and now this. You're just not having a good week, are you Vathek?"

Vathek looked around at the smiling and laughing people around him.

"I've had worse." he said with a smile.

"Girls, once again, thanks for everything." Elyon said, giving Cornelia a hug.

"Don't mention it." Taranee said. "Besides, I think we have your boys to thank for saving us."

"Well, two of them at least." Elyon said, looking at Raythor and Walli.

"Yeah, what exactly happened with that?" Cornelia asked Yan Lin. "What was that power? And why did it go away?"

"I will happily explain everything." Yan Lin said, as the rest of the Guadrians gathered around. "But let's not do it here. I think we all need a change of scenery, and I know just the place. Elyon? Will you join us?"

"Love to." Elyon said. "But I really should be getting back to Meridian. We're all pretty anxious to go home."

"Especially Blunk!" Blunk said, jumping up and down. "No more icky Kandrakar baths! Just Mud! Mud! Mud! Mud! Mud! Mud!"

"Will somebody please shut him up?" Caleb said, holding his ears. "You would not believe the headache I have! Stupid Chamber!"

"Should have done what I did and made it to the other side!" Raythor said with a laugh.

"You're not going to let me hear the end of that, are you?" Caleb replied, glaring at Raythor.

"Nope."

"I'll try to swing by tomorrow." Cornelia said, waving goodbye to her friend.

"Can't wait." Elyon said, waving back.

Then, with a slice of the mage ring, the Meridianites headed home.

"Please tell me we're going home too." Hay Lin said.

"Yep." Will replied. "Next stop, Silver Dragon."

Heatherfield

A few minutes later, Yan Lin was pouring several cups of tea. The Guardians, now back in human form, sat around a table in the closed restaurant.

"Oh, I need this." Irma said, taking a long sip. "I've got work tomorrow."

"You know, I don't think I ever expected to hear you say those words." Cornelia said.

"Are you finally going to explain what happened?" Taranee asked Yan Lin.

"Yes." The ex-Guardian said, sitting down.

For the next twenty minutes, Yan Lin filled the girls in on everything they didn't know. She told them about the Engine, and what the Honor Guard had done to shut it down.

"Way to go Walli!" Irma said once Yan Lin had finished. "Oh, and Raythor."

"Why would Endarno hook his new Guardians up to the Engine if he knew it was so dangerous?" Taranee asked.

"He was desperate." Yan Lin said. "And desperate people do strange things. Trust me, I know."

"But why was he desperate?" Will asked. "What did he know? Why did he want to get rid of us so badly?"

"Will, not now." Cornelia said.

"Huh?"

"We can play detective tomorrow, or next week. But we just won. Let's enjoy the moment. Not to mention get about twenty hours of sleep. We have exams coming up next month."

"Cornelia's right." Irma said.

"Wow, something else I thought I'd never hear you say." Cornelia said, causing Irma to stick out her tongue."

"Alright, alright, I get the point." Will said. "Rest now, work later. Got it."

"I want answers just as badly as you do." Taranee said, putting her hand on Will's shoulder. "But if we rush into things, we're just going to make mistakes. Best thing is to just be patient."

"Besides, we've earned a break." Hay Lin said with a smile.

"Yeah, you may not have noticed, but we're pretty awesome. Let's hear it for us!" Irma added

The five of them toasted their cups of tea, and smiled.

"Well, I better head home and get a good night's sleep before work tomorrow." Irma said, standing up. "Wouldn't want to mess up my first day."

"Nothing will stop me from going out with Eric tomorrow." Hay Lin said. "I owe him a date, and Hay Lin always pays her debts."

"Exams are in less then a month." Taranee said. "How can you possibly think about dating?"

"I'm not dating or studying." Cornelia said. "I'm going to put tape over Lillian and Napoleon's mouths, and I'm going to sleep. 'Till June."

"What about you, Will?" Irma asked. "Another date with Matt?"

"Eventually." Will said. "But right now, I owe my mom one mother/daughter dinner, and that's just what I'm going to do. Where can I get a good meal?"

"Just get Irma to make one. She's a chef." Cornelia said.

"Would you Irma?" Will asked.

"Sure." Irma replied. "$27.95 plus tax."

"What? Don't I get a friend discount?" Will said.

"Sorry girl, I'm an entrepreneur. I can't just go around giving my meals away. I need to make some money." Irma replied.

"Irma, you can't even spell entrepreneur." Taranee said with a smile.

"Sure I can." Irma replied. "E-N-T-E-R-P-A-N, ummmm, -E, uhhhhhh, have I already said N?"

The girls started to laugh, Will especially. Sure, there were still many things that hadn't been explained, and sure, some things didn't make a lot of sense right now, but it didn't matter. All of that just made tomorrow more interesting. And she couldn't wait to see where tomorrow took her and her friends. Only one thing still bugged her. Endarno. What did he see?

Balsilide

8 Years Ago

Endarno sits across from Ezerial and stares at the jewel he holds up.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." Endarno says. "What is the Heart of Balsilide?"

"The Heart of Balsilide is one of many Hearts across the universe. Most of these Hearts are the magical representation of their worlds. Some represent even more then that, but lets not worry about that for now." Ezerial says. "Now, most people think of these Hearts as nothing more then a pretty jewel. A weapon, or at best, an instrument. But they're wrong. The Heart is alive! It's sentinent! And yesterday, she did something she had never done before."

"What?" Endarno asks

"She screamed."

The impact of this statement is lost on Endarno.

"Why did it do that?"

"Because she saw something." Ezerial says. "Something that's going to happen. The future."

"Can you show me what you saw?" Endarno askes.

"Yes, but…"

"But what?"

"No magic is free." Ezerial says. "There is a price you must pay, and it is this. This must be your burden. Only you may know what it shows you. If you tell any one what you see, while you live, then the knowledge will be lost forever, and any chance of saving everything will be lost along with it. Are you willing to pay the price?"

"I am." Endarno said, without hesitation.

"Good boy. Buckle up."

Ezerial drops the Heart into Endarno's hand.

"What do I OH!"

Endarno is suddenly swept away from his office. He feels as if he is one with the universe. He sees hundreds of planets, each one full of life and hope. As he watches, the living beings on these planets slowly begin to die. One by one, every living thing in the universe dies. Every last breath of life is extinguished. Great civilizations disapear in seconds. Eventually, Balsilide is shown. Endarno witnesses the death of his home world. He watches as the city he loves becomes empty and deserted.

Endarno doesn't know what to think about these images. He knows that they are true, he can feel it. He little about this Heart, but he knows that it does not lie. He knows that this will come to pass, unless he stops it. What he doesn't know is how this will happen. He feels anger and determination swell up inside him.

"_Why? Why does this happen?"_ He thinks to the Heart.

As soon as he thinks this, he is whisked away to a far corner of the universe. Soon, he sees five people. Girls, to be precise, each one wearing a green and purple uniform and wings. He understands that his question is being answered. These five, strange girls will be responsible for the death of everything. He memorizes their appearance and their powers. Five girls, five powers. Water, Fire, Earth, Air and some kind of lightning. For now, he only knows that they must be stopped, no matter what the cost. And while all this is happening, one word is repeated over and over again. Kandrakar.

No sooner then has he memorized what the girls look like then he finds himself once again in his office. His mind is spinning, and he takes a seat. Ezerial is dead, the Heart is gone, and he was just shown a horrible future. The message is clear, however. Those five girls will be responsible for the death of everything in the universe.

He does not, of course, know what Kandrakar is, or that the five girls in his vision will be known as W.I.T.C.H.. That will come later. For now, he is simply focused on his task. These girls must be stopped, no matter what the cost. If he has to kill them, so be it, for the alternative is worse. Those five girls must be stopped, for if they are not, it means the end of everything.

**And so concludes W.I.T.C.H. Season 4:Wants and Needs. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I know there are still a lot of questions at the end of this story, but be patient, answers will come. I guess you'll just have to wait for Season 5 to know what they are. Shout out to Lexvan, AshleySwift13 and Heart of the Demons for all the great feedback. Good luck on all of your own stories, and keep watching for an epilogue that will get you ready for next season. Happy readings,**

**-HeartofMeridian**


	34. Epilogue

W.I.T.C.H

Epilogue

Kandrakar

Endarno sat calmly in his cell. A few hours ago, he had been put into the Tower of Mists after his newly created Guardians had been defeated by the old ones. He frowned as he reflected on the past weeks' events. He had thought of hundreds of different places where he should have made different discussions. In retrospect, he should have found a way to kill those girls as soon as he had the chance. Messy, yes, but better then the alternative. He had been defeated. His plans had failed.

Except one. One last scheme. One last chance to save everything. He had no desire to put this plan into action, but he saw no other option. His robes had been taken from him in case he had hidden any weapon within them. He had been extensively searched to make sure nothing was on his body. There wasn't anything on his body, but there was something important in it.

Within a few seconds, his dinner arrived, as he knew it would. It was nothing special, prisoners did not get fed well, but that didn't matter. Endarno was interested in the cutlery, not the food. One fork, and one knife. Endarno picked up the knife. It was dull, very dull, but if used correctly, it could still puncture skin. Endarno took a deep breath, and began to set his plan in motion.

Kandrakar

3 Hours Later

"Thank your for coming on such short notice." Yan Lin said, walking quickly down the Kandrakarian hallway.

It was 2:00 in the morning in Heatherfield, but the girls had received an urgent message from Yan Lin. A few minutes later and they found themselves following the ex-guardian, who was setting a blistering pace down the corridor.

"What was so important that it couldn't wait until morning, Grandma?" Hay Lin asked, stifling a yawn.

"Yeah, I've got work tomorrow." Irma said, struggling to keep up. "So, what is it? Somebody swallow Phobos again? Does the Engine need an oil change? Is there a sale at the Kandrakar gift shop? What?"

"Endarno is dead." Yan Lin said, not slowing down. The girls, on the other hand, stopped in their tracks.

"He's what?" Cornelia said in disbelief.

"Are you serious?" Will asked.

"Deadly." Yan Lin replied. "We found him a couple hours ago."

"Who killed him?" Taranee asked.

"He did." Yan Lin replied.

"He killed himself?"

"With one of the dinner knifes." Yan Lin confirmed, beginning to walk again.

"What? That doesn't make any sense. Why would he do that?" Hay Lin asked, as the girls ran after Yan Lin.

"That is why you are here." Yan Lin replied, entering a small, white room, filled with tables and shelves. Various tools littered the counter tops.

"We did an autopsy on him immediately." Yan Lin said. "It's standard procedure anytime there is a death in Kandrakar. This time, we found something."

Yan Lin walked over to a table and picked up a small, rolled up piece of paper. Tiny words were written on both sides. Although it was very small when rolled, it opened up into a rather large piece of paper.

"We found this inside his stomach." Yan Lin said, handing the paper to Will.

"Oh." Will said. "Ew."

"It was inside a small metal container. We figure he must have swallowed it recently, perhaps during the battle." Yan Lin said.

"Well, what does it say Will?" Hay Lin asked.

"Yeah, read it out."

Will did as she was told.

"I could not explain my actions while living, so I will do so now that I am dead." Will began. "Eight years ago, I was showed a vision by the Heart of Balsilide. It showed me that the Guardians, the girls you know as W.I.T.C.H., will be responsible for the death of every living thing in the universe. I was told this under the condition that I could not tell anyone else of this information while living. By revealing it when I am dead, I hope that you may continue where I have failed. You must either eliminate the five girls from being Guardians, or simply eliminate them. Good luck. Signed, Endarno"

The girls stared at the piece of paper.

"Well that sucks." Irma finally said.

"Irma!" Cornelia said, jabbing Irma in the side.

"Oh, I'm sorry Cornelia, what is the appropriate response after reading a prophecy which foretells of the death of the entire universe at our hands, that we found in the stomach of our dead enemy?"

"Okay, settle down everyone," Yan Lin said, "I know this can be a lot to take in."

"There's the understatement of the year." Hay Lin said.

"Is this true, Yan Lin?" Will asked. "I mean, could we really… is it possible?"

"There have been stories of Hearts showing the future, and I have heard of the pact of silence that must be agreed to, but such a vision seems… unusual."

"What about his suggestion?" Taranee asked. "Will Kandrakar really remove us from our role of Guardian?"

"That is not my decision to make." Yan Lin said. "The council will have to do much deliberation before coming up with a decision."

"Well there's no way I'm killing anything." Cornelia said. "I don't even like stepping on bugs."

"Still, we have to assume that there is some truth to this prophecy." Taranee said.

The rest of the girls stared at her.

"What? Hearts don't just go around making up stories for the fun of it." Taranee said.

"There's too much we don't know." Will said. "We need more information."

"What you need is rest." Yan Lin said. "I am sorry that I had to trouble you with this news, but I felt you needed to know."

"You did the right thing, Grandma." Hay Lin said.

"She's right though. We're too tired to do anything right now. Let's hit the hay and figure out what our first step is tomorrow." Irma said.

"Oh, I already know what our first step is." Will said.

"You do?"

"Yep." Will replied. "Endarno is… was from Balsilide. He was shown this future by the Heart of Balsilide."

"Oh, I can see where this is going, and I don't like it." Cornelia said.

"Sorry girls," Will said. "But if we want answers, we need to go back to Balsilide."


End file.
